How Many People Are Named Leslie?
An estimated 283,420 people in the United States have the first name Leslie. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #177 overall. It is used for both genders, with 70.5% female. The average bearer is 51 years old, and Leslie peaked in popularity in 1957 with 8,199 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Leslie as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Leslie paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Leslie has undergone a significant gender shift. Originally given predominantly to boys, it is now more commonly a girls' name.
- Leslie has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1960s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
283,420
About 1 in 1,209 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Common
Predicted Gender
Female
70.5% confidence
Average Age
51
years old
Peak Year
1957
8,199 births
Total Registered
382,987
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Leslie
Leslie is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (29.5%) and females (70.5%). Out of 382,987 total births registered, 112,958 were male and 270,029 were female.
Leslie as a male name
Ranked #3,016 in 2024
41 male births in 2024
Peak: 1952 (2,359 births)
Leslie as a female name
Ranked #605 in 2024
495 female births in 2024
Peak: 1957 (6,103 births)
Leslie: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Leslie span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1960s, when 68,174 babies were registered. Leslie has declined significantly from its peak in the 1960s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Leslie by Decade
How has Leslie tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,418 | 1,292 | 126 | |
| 1890s | 2,320 | 2,063 | 257 | |
| 1900s | 2,855 | 2,531 | 324 | |
| 1910s | 11,415 | 10,630 | 785 | |
| 1920s | 16,306 | 15,065 | 1,241 | |
| 1930s | 13,689 | 12,242 | 1,447 | |
| 1940s | 34,245 | 19,389 | 14,856 | |
| 1950s | 64,430 | 21,382 | 43,048 | |
| 1960s | 68,174 | 13,723 | 54,451 | |
| 1970s | 52,035 | 7,195 | 44,840 | |
| 1980s | 42,593 | 3,864 | 38,729 | |
| 1990s | 28,731 | 1,960 | 26,771 | |
| 2000s | 32,019 | 967 | 31,052 | |
| 2010s | 10,231 | 482 | 9,749 | |
| 2020s | 2,526 | 173 | 2,353 | |
Leslie by State
Birth registrations for Leslie span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, New York. The lowest are in Alaska, Vermont, Delaware. On average, about 7,266 Leslies were registered per state.
Leslie + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Leslie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Leslie
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
Leslie: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Leslie?
We estimate approximately 283,420 people named Leslie are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 1,209 Americans share this first name.
Is Leslie a common name?
Leslie is classified as "Common" and is more popular than 99.8% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 382,987 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Leslie most popular?
Leslie reached peak popularity in 1957, when 8,199 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Leslie is approximately 51 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Leslie a female name?
Leslie is predominantly female. 70.5% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Leslie Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Leslie Smith, Leslie Johnson, Leslie Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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