Lethell
Rich, prosperous, fortunate; one who brings material abundance.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Lethell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lethell today is around 71 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lethell births was 1947 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lethell. 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
- • The typical person named Lethell is about 71 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Lethells were born before 1965.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lethell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1947
6 babies that year
Average age
71
years old
1947 SSA rank
#3,582
Tracked since 1947
Popularity
Lethell: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Lethell 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 Lethell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Lethell
The name Lethell is believed to have originated from the Old English language, which was spoken in parts of Britain from the 5th to the 11th centuries. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "lēþel" meaning "little" and "hyll" meaning "hill" or "mound." Consequently, the name Lethell could have initially referred to a person who lived on a small hill or mound.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lethell can be found in the Domesday Book, a great survey of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Lethell de Wodeham, who held estates in the county of Essex.
In the 12th century, a monk named Lethell of Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire was known for his scholarly writings on theology and philosophy. He lived from approximately 1150 to 1220 and was highly regarded within the Cistercian monastic order.
During the 13th century, a notable figure named Lethell de Montfort fought alongside Simon de Montfort, the Earl of Leicester, in the Second Barons' War against King Henry III. Lethell de Montfort is mentioned in several chronicles of the time for his bravery in battle, though the exact dates of his birth and death are uncertain.
In the 15th century, a renowned artist and illuminator named Lethell de Worde was active in London. He was one of the earliest English printers, responsible for publishing numerous books and manuscripts between 1480 and 1535.
Centuries later, in the 1800s, a British explorer and naturalist named Lethell Grosse made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in the Pacific region. He embarked on several expeditions to remote islands and documented numerous new species of plants and animals. Lethell Grosse was born in 1805 and died in 1888.
While the name Lethell may have originated from humble beginnings, referring to a person living on a small hill or mound, it has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds throughout history, including landowners, scholars, warriors, artists, and explorers.
People
Lethell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lethell 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
Lethell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lethell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lethell 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Lethell a common name?
We classify Lethell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lethell most popular?
The single biggest year for Lethell was 1947, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lethell is about 71 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 Lethell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lethell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lethell 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 Lethell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lethell 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 Lethell 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 people have the name Lethell?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.