Lionel is an established boys' name that has climbed to its highest level yet, peaking in 2023.
Lionel is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #659 for boy births in the United States (and #1,333 across all names), given to 419 babies — 433 including U.S. territories. Lionel first appears in 1880 and peaked in 2023 (609 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 419 | 433 | — | #659 |
| 2024 | 529 | 543 | — | #562 |
| 2023 | 609 | 620 | — | #495 |
| 2022 | 450 | 459 | — | #622 |
| 2021 | 410 | 417 | — | #662 |
| 2020 | 398 | 405 | — | #662 |
| 2019 | 428 | 436 | — | #631 |
| 2018 | 418 | 430 | — | #634 |
| 2017 | 458 | 464 | — | #596 |
| 2016 | 475 | 486 | — | #583 |
| 2015 | 405 | 414 | — | #645 |
| 2014 | 388 | 396 | — | #663 |
| 2013 | 317 | 330 | — | #739 |
| 2012 | 275 | 280 | — | #809 |
| 2011 | 282 | 288 | — | #791 |
| 2010 | 228 | 238 | — | #899 |
| 2009 | 173 | 173 | — | #1,075 |
| 2008 | 161 | 169 | — | #1,135 |
| 2007 | 151 | 151 | — | #1,174 |
| 2006 | 137 | 137 | — | #1,226 |
| 2005 | 144 | 149 | — | #1,135 |
| 2004 | 122 | 128 | — | #1,242 |
| 2003 | 128 | 133 | — | #1,170 |
| 2002 | 122 | 128 | — | #1,164 |
| 2001 | 154 | 154 | — | #993 |
| 2000 | 148 | 154 | — | #1,002 |
| 1999 | 136 | 143 | — | #1,023 |
| 1998 | 157 | 167 | — | #915 |
| 1997 | 121 | — | — | #1,054 |
| 1996 | 130 | — | — | #975 |
| 1995 | 169 | — | — | #824 |
| 1994 | 160 | — | — | #848 |
| 1993 | 204 | — | — | #729 |
| 1992 | 191 | — | — | #747 |
| 1991 | 205 | — | — | #709 |
| 1990 | 231 | — | — | #666 |
| 1989 | 265 | — | — | #602 |
| 1988 | 251 | — | — | #585 |
| 1987 | 310 | — | — | #509 |
| 1986 | 332 | — | #11,980 | #484 |
| 1985 | 406 | — | #11,689 | #428 |
| 1984 | 448 | — | #11,401 | #387 |
| 1983 | 425 | — | #11,230 | #396 |
| 1982 | 354 | — | — | #455 |
| 1981 | 302 | — | #7,120 | #488 |
| 1980 | 304 | — | — | #483 |
| 1979 | 243 | — | — | #549 |
| 1978 | 249 | — | — | #521 |
| 1977 | 251 | — | — | #529 |
| 1976 | 266 | — | — | #487 |
| 1975 | 252 | — | — | #504 |
| 1974 | 212 | — | — | #553 |
| 1973 | 239 | — | — | #505 |
| 1972 | 215 | — | — | #542 |
| 1971 | 260 | — | — | #504 |
| 1970 | 239 | — | — | #522 |
| 1969 | 283 | — | — | #456 |
| 1968 | 266 | — | — | #466 |
| 1967 | 292 | — | — | #442 |
| 1966 | 292 | — | — | #449 |
| 1965 | 290 | — | — | #455 |
| 1964 | 368 | — | — | #421 |
| 1963 | 382 | — | — | #412 |
| 1962 | 405 | — | — | #402 |
| 1961 | 420 | — | — | #389 |
| 1960 | 468 | — | — | #364 |
| 1959 | 416 | — | — | #388 |
| 1958 | 365 | — | #6,609 | #413 |
| 1957 | 336 | — | — | #425 |
| 1956 | 410 | — | — | #365 |
| 1955 | 323 | — | — | #408 |
| 1954 | 359 | — | — | #372 |
| 1953 | 385 | — | — | #354 |
| 1952 | 340 | — | — | #366 |
| 1951 | 340 | — | — | #371 |
| 1950 | 363 | — | — | #355 |
| 1949 | 336 | — | — | #370 |
| 1948 | 339 | — | — | #368 |
| 1947 | 349 | — | — | #371 |
| 1946 | 329 | — | — | #360 |
| 1945 | 306 | — | — | #345 |
| 1944 | 303 | — | — | #344 |
| 1943 | 284 | — | — | #364 |
| 1942 | 274 | — | — | #367 |
| 1941 | 287 | — | — | #342 |
| 1940 | 260 | — | — | #352 |
| 1939 | 277 | — | — | #334 |
| 1938 | 280 | — | — | #333 |
| 1937 | 247 | — | — | #345 |
| 1936 | 291 | — | — | #315 |
| 1935 | 281 | — | — | #325 |
| 1934 | 336 | — | — | #295 |
| 1933 | 321 | — | — | #295 |
| 1932 | 311 | — | — | #310 |
| 1931 | 295 | — | #4,708 | #321 |
| 1930 | 281 | — | — | #330 |
| 1929 | 265 | — | — | #344 |
| 1928 | 297 | — | — | #326 |
| 1927 | 319 | — | — | #322 |
| 1926 | 294 | — | — | #339 |
| 1925 | 309 | — | — | #328 |
| 1924 | 325 | — | — | #322 |
| 1923 | 329 | — | — | #320 |
| 1922 | 302 | — | — | #338 |
| 1921 | 339 | — | #5,552 | #319 |
| 1920 | 272 | — | — | #363 |
| 1919 | 253 | — | — | #362 |
| 1918 | 266 | — | — | #356 |
| 1917 | 255 | — | — | #350 |
| 1916 | 205 | — | — | #385 |
| 1915 | 224 | — | — | #359 |
| 1914 | 168 | — | — | #365 |
| 1913 | 129 | — | — | #368 |
| 1912 | 119 | — | — | #346 |
| 1911 | 74 | — | — | #315 |
| 1910 | 33 | — | — | #489 |
| 1909 | 34 | — | — | #430 |
| 1908 | 30 | — | — | #445 |
| 1907 | 30 | — | — | #425 |
| 1906 | 27 | — | — | #428 |
| 1905 | 25 | — | — | #443 |
| 1904 | 20 | — | — | #484 |
| 1903 | 30 | — | — | #355 |
| 1902 | 19 | — | — | #498 |
| 1901 | 20 | — | — | #431 |
| 1900 | 26 | — | — | #451 |
| 1899 | 18 | — | — | #447 |
| 1898 | 21 | — | — | #446 |
| 1897 | 19 | — | — | #448 |
| 1896 | 20 | — | — | #453 |
| 1895 | 19 | — | — | #466 |
| 1894 | 20 | — | — | #431 |
| 1893 | 19 | — | — | #425 |
| 1892 | 9 | — | — | #776 |
| 1891 | 17 | — | — | #438 |
| 1890 | 14 | — | — | #523 |
| 1889 | 9 | — | — | #703 |
| 1888 | 9 | — | — | #733 |
| 1887 | 13 | — | — | #503 |
| 1886 | 11 | — | — | #588 |
| 1885 | 5 | — | — | #1,028 |
| 1884 | 6 | — | — | #925 |
| 1883 | 7 | — | — | #770 |
| 1882 | 5 | — | — | #1,029 |
| 1880 | 8 | — | — | #718 |