Leilene
A feminine name of Hawaiian origin meaning "heavenly lei" or "heavenly wreath".
Name Census estimates that about 155 living Americans carry the first name Leilene. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Leilene today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Leilene births was 2007 (81 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Leilene. 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
155
~ 1 in 2,211,318 Americans
Peak year
2007
81 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2015 SSA rank
#15,599
Tracked since 2007
Census
Leilene in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 137 people with the first name Leilene, which placed it at #47,543 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
#47,543
National first-name rank
People counted
137
137 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Hispanic or Latino
78.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leilene
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Leilene is Hispanic at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.8%). 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 Leilene 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 Leilene at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino78.8% · 108
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.0% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.8% · 8
- White2.9% · 4
- Two or more races2.9% · 4
- Black or African American1.5% · 2
Popularity
Leilene: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Leilene from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 130 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Leilene 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 Leilene during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Leilenes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Leilene, while Arizona, New York, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Leilene
The name Leilene is a relatively modern given name that appears to have originated in the early 20th century. Its origins are somewhat obscure, but it is believed to be derived from the Hebrew name Leila, meaning "night" or "dark beauty." The name Leila itself has its roots in the Arabic language, where it is spelled لیلى (Laylā).
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Leilene can be found in the United States Social Security records from the early 1900s. It is possible that the name was created by blending the Hebrew/Arabic name Leila with a common English suffix like "-ene" or "-ene," which was sometimes used to create new feminine names during that era.
While there are no definitive historical references or famous individuals from ancient times with the name Leilene, there are a few notable people who have carried this name throughout the 20th century. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Leilene Tindall (1904-1988), an American actress and singer who appeared in several films and stage productions during the 1920s and 1930s.
Another notable Leilene was Leilene Berrier (1918-2005), an American artist and sculptor known for her abstract works and public art installations. Her sculptures can be found in various cities across the United States.
In the field of education, Leilene Galloway (1926-2012) was a prominent educator and administrator. She served as the president of the National Association of Elementary School Principals and was involved in various educational initiatives and organizations throughout her career.
Moving into the realm of sports, Leilene Ondrizek (born 1934) was a professional golfer from the United States. She competed on the LPGA Tour during the 1960s and 1970s, winning several tournaments and earning numerous accolades.
Lastly, Leilene Tulloch (born 1940) is a British actress known for her roles in television series and films. She has appeared in popular shows like "Doctor Who" and "Coronation Street," among others.
While the name Leilene is not as common as some other names, it has a unique charm and has been carried by several accomplished individuals throughout the 20th century. Its origins may be rooted in ancient languages, but its popularity seems to have emerged more recently in the modern era.
People
Leilene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Leilene 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
Leilene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Leilene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 155 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Leilene 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 2,211,318 US residents.
Is Leilene a common name?
We classify Leilene as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 157 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Leilene most popular?
The single biggest year for Leilene was 2007, when 81 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Leilene is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Leilene in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 137 people with the name Leilene, or 0.05 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #47,543 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 Leilene 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 Leilene?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Leilene leans strongly female. 134 people counted with this name were female (98.5%), compared with 2 male bearers (1.5%). 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 Leilene?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Leilene is Hispanic at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.8%). 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 Leilene most often in the Census?
Hispanic is the largest reported group for people named Leilene in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.8% (108 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 Leilene in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Leilene a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Leilene 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 Leilene still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Leilene 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 Leilene 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 Americans are named Leilene?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.