Lesa
A feminine diminutive form of Elizabeth, meaning "consecrated to God".
Name Census estimates that about 9,319 living Americans carry the first name Lesa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lesa today is around 60 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lesa births was 1962 (778 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lesa. 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.
People living today
9.3K
~ 1 in 36,780 Americans
Peak year
1962
778 babies that year
Average age
60
years old
1962 SSA rank
#3,506
Tracked since 1915
Gender
Gender distribution for Lesa
Out of the 11,421 babies given the name Lesa since 1880, 99.9% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Lesa as a male name
- Ranked #3,506 in 1962
- 7 male births in 1962
- Peak: 1962 (7 births)
Lesa as a female name
- Ranked #14,883 in 2018
- 6 female births in 2018
- Peak: 1962 (771 births)
Popularity
Lesa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lesa from the 1910s through to the 2010s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 6,322 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lesa 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 Lesa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lesas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 43 states and territories. Texas, California, Ohio recorded the most babies named Lesa, while New Mexico, Montana, Connecticut recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 216 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lesa
The name Lesa has its origins in the Slavic languages, particularly in the Czech and Slovak regions of Central Europe. It is believed to have emerged as a diminutive form of the Slavic name Elizaveta, which is the Slavic variation of the Hebrew name Elizabeth, meaning "consecrated to God" or "my God is an oath."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lesa can be found in the annals of the Přemyslid dynasty, which ruled over the lands of Bohemia from the 9th to the 14th century. In the 12th century, a noblewoman named Lesa of Přemysl was mentioned in a chronicle as a member of the ruling family.
In the 14th century, a Czech religious reformer and philosopher named Lesa of Hradec played a significant role in the Hussite movement, which challenged the authority of the Catholic Church and advocated for reforms within Christianity. Her writings and teachings had a lasting impact on the intellectual and religious landscape of Central Europe.
During the Renaissance period, a Slovak poet and humanist named Lesa Životský (1486-1548) gained recognition for her contributions to literature and the promotion of Slavic culture. Her works celebrated the beauty of the Slovak language and encouraged its use in scholarly and artistic endeavors.
In the 19th century, a Polish-born artist named Lesa Semadeni (1828-1904) achieved fame for her portraits and landscapes, which captured the essence of the Romantic era. Her paintings are preserved in several renowned galleries across Europe.
Another notable figure with the name Lesa was Lesa Korytová (1914-1998), a Czech actress and theatre director who played a pivotal role in the development of modern Czech theatre. She was renowned for her innovative approach to staging and her ability to bring complex characters to life on stage.
While the name Lesa is not as common as some other Slavic names, it holds a rich cultural heritage and has been associated with notable individuals throughout history, particularly in the fields of arts, literature, and religious thought.
People
Lesa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lesa 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
Lesa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lesa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9,319 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lesa 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 1 in 36,780 US residents.
Is Lesa a common name?
We classify Lesa as "Rare". It ranks above 97.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11,421 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lesa most popular?
The single biggest year for Lesa was 1962, when 778 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lesa is about 60 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lesa a female name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Lesa in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.