Lennie

Gender: Boy
Say it: LEN-ee
Origin: Germanic
UK rank, 2025: #244 for boys
US rank, 2025: #2,542 for girls

Lennie is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “brave as a lion”. In 2025 it ranked 244th for boys in the UK (222 babies) and 2,542nd for girls in the US (69 babies).

What does Lennie mean?

Germanic: pet form of Leonard

“brave as a lion”

A pet form of Leonard; Lennie Small is a central character in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.

Is Lennie a girl's or a boy's name?

Lennie is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 27 girls and 222 boys in the UK and 69 girls and 8 boys in the US.

How popular is Lennie in the UK?

Rank in 2025: 244th among boys
Babies in 2025: 222 about 1 in 1,400 boys
Five-year trend: Rising fast up 131% in five years
Same name in a class: 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 222 boys in the UK were named Lennie, making it the 244th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 525th. Its busiest year was 2022, with 223 boys. 27 girls were also named Lennie in 2025 (1,247th for girls).

Half of all the boys named Lennie in the UK since 1996 were born between 2015 and 2023, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 610 boys in the UK were given Lennie or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #107, up from #244 for this spelling alone.

Lenny 384
Lennie 222
Lenni 4

In 2025, 11% of the babies named Lennie in the UK were girls.

Among boys in 2025, it was 237th in England and Wales, 367th in Scotland and 395th in Northern Ireland.

1996Busiest: 223 in 20222025

Lennie in the UK, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	222	#244
2024	191	#273
2023	221	#241
2022	223	#240
2021	162	#322
2020	81	#525
2019	103	#445
2018	91	#490
2017	89	#507
2016	61	#648
2015	63	#627
2014	68	#591
2013	52	#708
2012	52	#711
2011	35	#906
2010	30	#1,019
2009	31	#956
2008	29	#997
2007	39	#779
2006	16	#1,369
2005	19	#1,180
2004	20	#1,071
2003	6	#2,283
2002	6	#2,106
2001	8	#1,690
2000	8	#1,637
1999	8	#1,582
1998	3	#3,021
1997	3	#2,979
1996	4	#2,442

How popular is Lennie in the US?

Rank in 2025: 2,542nd among girls
Babies in 2025: 69 about 1 in 23,000 girls
Five-year trend: Rising fast up 226% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 69 girls in the US were named Lennie, making it the 2,542nd most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 5,663rd. Its busiest year was 1915, with 123 girls. 8 boys were also named Lennie in 2025 (8,906th for boys).

2025 had more girls named Lennie than any year since 1926.

Half of all the girls named Lennie in the US since 1880 were born between 1910 and 1947, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 176 girls in the US were given Lennie or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,154, up from #2,542 for this spelling alone.

Lennie 69
Lenny 61
Lenni 46

In 2025, 90% of the babies named Lennie in the US were girls.

1880Busiest: 123 in 19152025

Lennie in the US, year by year

Year	Girls	Rank
2025	69	#2,542
2024	51	#3,119
2023	66	#2,646
2022	31	#4,470
2021	22	#5,569
2020	21	#5,663
2019	17	#6,694
2018	19	#6,244
2017	21	#5,817
2016	8	#11,776
2015	10	#10,143
2014	6	#14,552
2013	0	–
2012	6	#14,956
2011	0	–
2010	7	#13,442
2009	0	–
2008	0	–
2007	0	–
2006	0	–
2005	0	–
2004	0	–
2003	0	–
2002	5	#15,426
2001	0	–
2000	0	–
1999	0	–
1998	0	–
1997	0	–
1996	0	–
1995	5	#13,380
1994	0	–
1993	0	–
1992	5	#13,308
1991	7	#10,263
1990	0	–
1989	0	–
1988	5	#11,792
1987	5	#11,320
1986	5	#10,907
1985	8	#7,560
1984	7	#8,149
1983	7	#8,045
1982	0	–
1981	13	#5,253
1980	10	#6,318
1979	9	#6,694
1978	11	#5,562
1977	10	#5,886
1976	11	#5,213
1975	16	#3,948
1974	18	#3,558
1973	16	#3,786
1972	10	#5,108
1971	23	#2,955
1970	14	#4,037
1969	14	#3,773
1968	6	#6,244
1967	15	#3,339
1966	15	#3,265
1965	25	#2,410
1964	15	#3,378
1963	17	#3,065
1962	19	#2,813
1961	24	#2,473
1960	28	#2,195
1959	25	#2,288
1958	29	#2,072
1957	41	#1,680
1956	31	#1,930
1955	26	#2,107
1954	34	#1,768
1953	35	#1,670
1952	36	#1,610
1951	41	#1,461
1950	43	#1,395
1949	49	#1,303
1948	50	#1,297
1947	43	#1,412
1946	63	#1,070
1945	47	#1,141
1944	39	#1,271
1943	47	#1,180
1942	45	#1,180
1941	49	#1,041
1940	44	#1,088
1939	36	#1,221
1938	42	#1,111
1937	42	#1,099
1936	56	#909
1935	47	#1,004
1934	42	#1,079
1933	60	#865
1932	62	#891
1931	42	#1,092
1930	60	#941
1929	59	#932
1928	63	#936
1927	59	#990
1926	72	#873
1925	75	#861
1924	89	#788
1923	57	#992
1922	75	#845
1921	114	#692
1920	83	#791
1919	94	#721
1918	80	#796
1917	98	#696
1916	111	#641
1915	123	#586
1914	96	#577
1913	76	#587
1912	77	#555
1911	64	#519
1910	50	#584
1909	42	#594
1908	61	#462
1907	56	#475
1906	50	#486
1905	53	#464
1904	56	#430
1903	49	#457
1902	49	#445
1901	43	#452
1900	52	#468
1899	36	#490
1898	46	#448
1897	31	#530
1896	44	#434
1895	53	#384
1894	49	#399
1893	34	#455
1892	38	#434
1891	49	#355
1890	37	#412
1889	27	#475
1888	29	#458
1887	35	#364
1886	12	#657
1885	28	#386
1884	32	#349
1883	19	#435
1882	20	#407
1881	21	#360
1880	11	#518

Names like Lennie

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Freddie, Archie, Louie, Frederick, Eddie, Otis, Leonard, Albert, Ollie, Ernie, Wilfred, Stanley

Other spellings of Lennie

Lenny, Lenni

Names related to Lennie

Lennon, Lonnie, Lennan, Leni, Lenna, Lennyn, Leanne, Leonie

More Germanic names

Amelia, Liam, Henry, Charlotte, William, Charlie, Emma, Ella, Harry, Millie, Albie, Matilda, Miles, Alice, Myles, Charles

Every Germanic name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Lennie: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/lennie, updated 20 October 2026.