Leyda
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly from the Latin "leda".
Name Census estimates that about 371 living Americans carry the first name Leyda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Leyda today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Leyda births was 2007 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Leyda. 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
371
~ 1 in 923,866 Americans
Peak year
2007
19 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,197
Tracked since 1959
Census
Leyda in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,351 people with the first name Leyda, which placed it at #10,017 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#10,017
National first-name rank
People counted
1.4K
1,351 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.4
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Hispanic or Latino
96.9% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leyda
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Leyda is Hispanic at 96.9%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Leyda described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Leyda at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.9% · 1,309
- White1.6% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 11
- Black or African American0.6% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Popularity
Leyda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Leyda from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 111 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Leyda remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Leyda 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 Leyda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Leydas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Leyda
The name Leyda is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language, with its roots tracing back to the Middle East and North Africa. It is derived from the Arabic word "laidah," which means "precious" or "valuable." This name carries a sense of preciousness and importance, reflecting the high regard in which it was held by those who bestowed it upon their children.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Leyda can be found in ancient Arabic poetry and literature, where it was often used to describe precious gems or treasures. In some historical texts, the name is also associated with the concept of rarity and uniqueness, further emphasizing its value and significance.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Leyda. One such individual was Leyda bint al-Qasim (born around 790 CE), a renowned Arabic poetess from Andalusia, Spain. Her works celebrated love, nature, and the beauty of language, earning her recognition as one of the most influential female poets of her time.
Another figure of historical importance was Leyda al-Mujahidah (born circa 1150 CE), a Muslim warrior and military leader from the Iberian Peninsula. She played a crucial role in the resistance against the Christian conquest of the region, earning her the title "al-Mujahidah," which means "the fighter" or "the warrior."
In the realm of literature, Leyda al-Baghdadiyyah (born around 1120 CE) was a notable poet and scholar from Baghdad. Her works explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition, and she was highly regarded for her mastery of the Arabic language and poetic form.
Moving forward in history, Leyda al-Andalusiyyah (born in 1492 CE) was a prominent figure in the Andalusian resistance against the Spanish Inquisition. She was known for her courage and unwavering commitment to preserving the cultural heritage of the Andalusian Muslims during a period of great turmoil.
Finally, Leyda al-Kabir (born in 1920 CE) was a renowned Egyptian novelist and playwright. Her works tackled social and political issues, exploring the complexities of modern Egyptian society and giving voice to the struggles and aspirations of her people.
These historical figures, spanning centuries and continents, exemplify the diverse and rich tapestry of individuals who have borne the name Leyda. Their legacies serve as a testament to the enduring significance and value associated with this name throughout the ages.
People
Leyda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Leyda 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
Leyda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Leyda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 371 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Leyda 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 923,866 US residents.
Is Leyda a common name?
We classify Leyda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 386 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Leyda most popular?
The single biggest year for Leyda was 2007, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Leyda is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Leyda in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,351 people with the name Leyda, or 0.45 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #10,017 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Leyda in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Leyda?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Leyda appears almost entirely female. Of the 1,354 people counted with this name, 99.9% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Leyda?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Leyda is Hispanic at 96.9%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Leyda most often in the Census?
Hispanic is the largest reported group for people named Leyda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.9% (1,309 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Leyda in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Leyda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Leyda 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.
Is Leyda still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Leyda 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 Leyda 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.
How many people have the name Leyda?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Leyda, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.