Lent
A time of penitence and fasting in preparation for Easter.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Lent. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lent today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lent births was 1916 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lent. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lent. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1916
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1916 SSA rank
#4,253
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Lent: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Lent by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Lent during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Lent
The name Lent has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the word "lencten," which was used to describe the season of spring. This name has been associated with the Christian observance of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and penitence leading up to Easter.
Historically, the name Lent has been used as a given name since the Middle Ages in various parts of Europe, particularly in England and Germany. It is believed to have been initially used as a surname, indicating a person born or associated with the Lenten season.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lent can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears as a surname, suggesting its usage as a given name in the subsequent centuries.
In the realm of literature, Lent is mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, written in the late 14th century. This literary work is considered one of the most significant in English literature and provides insight into the use of the name during that period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lent. One such figure is Lent Munson (1667-1753), an early American settler and landowner in Connecticut. Another is Lent D. Upson (1821-1905), an American politician who served as the 33rd Governor of Connecticut from 1879 to 1881.
In the field of art, Lent Rimini (1860-1933) was an Italian painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes. His works are housed in various galleries and museums across Italy.
Lent Kirchner (1919-2009) was a German-American artist and printmaker associated with the Abstract Expressionist movement. His work is celebrated for its bold use of color and gestural brushstrokes.
Lastly, Lent Hinrichs (born 1976) is a contemporary German writer and journalist known for his novels and non-fiction works exploring themes of identity and cultural issues.
These examples demonstrate the enduring presence of the name Lent throughout various periods and cultures, reflecting its deep-rooted origins and historical significance.
People
Lent + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lent as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lent: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lent?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lent going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Lent a common name?
We classify Lent as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lent most popular?
The single biggest year for Lent was 1916, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lent is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Lent in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lent a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lent in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Lent still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lent in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Lent can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Lent?
See how many people have the name Lent on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.