girl (SSA Category)Germanic Origin

Leni

Verified Meaning & Etymology

“Light; bright torch (German pet form of Helena/Magdalena)”

Linguistic heritage: Germanic

Pronunciation

English Phonetic:LAY-nee

IPA (US English):/ˈleɪni/

Source: Wiktionary IPA Linguistic Transcription

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Peak Popularity2023201 births in peak year

2025 US Rank#1179197 births in 2025

Total US Registrations1,962Recorded since 1880

Demographic Ratio99% FemaleBased on SSA application records

Historical US Popularity Trajectory

Annual recorded US births from 1940 to 2025 (US Social Security Administration)

Peak US Popularity2023 (201 births)

Earliest RecordYear 1940

Recent 2025 Level197 births

Data source: United States Social Security Administration (1880–2025). The SSA privacy policy suppresses counts under 5. Data indicates biological sex entered on Social Security applications.

Names Similar to Leni

Calculated deterministically based on shared linguistic origins, styling, and popularity tier.

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Source Citations & Review Provenance

Demographic Data:

United States Social Security Administration (SSA) National Data (1880–2025). Counts reflect 100% of Social Security card applications where year, sex, and state of birth are recorded.

Linguistic Derivation:

Meanings cross-referenced with Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Nurturepedia (MIT). Phonetics audited against the Carnegie Mellon University Pronouncing Dictionary (BSD).

Last reviewed by editorial check: 2026-10-28Submit a factual correction or inquiry →