Lisbon
Feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from Olissipo, an ancient Greco-Roman settlement.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Lisbon. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 68.8% of registrations being female. The average person named Lisbon today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lisbon births was 2022 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lisbon. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lisbon. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2022
6 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
1923 SSA rank
#4,612
Tracked since 1923
Gender
Gender distribution for Lisbon
Lisbon is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 16 total registrations, 5 (31.3%) were male and 11 (68.8%) were female.
Lisbon as a male name
- Ranked #4,612 in 1923
- 5 male births in 1923
- Peak: 1923 (5 births)
Lisbon as a female name
- Ranked #14,589 in 2022
- 6 female births in 2022
- Peak: 2022 (6 births)
Popularity
Lisbon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lisbon from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lisbon 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 Lisbon during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lisbon
The given name Lisbon is a unique name that is not directly derived from any specific language or culture. It is believed to be a modern invention, potentially inspired by the city of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. The city's name itself has origins in the pre-Roman Iberian Celtic language and is thought to be derived from the word "Olisippo."
While the name Lisbon does not have a long historical lineage, it has been in use as a first name for several centuries, particularly in English-speaking countries. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lisbon being used as a first name dates back to the late 17th century.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the first name Lisbon. One such person was Lisbon Carter (1854-1924), an American author and journalist who wrote extensively about the American West and Native American culture.
Another individual with the name Lisbon was Lisbon Lane (1903-1972), an American film actress who appeared in several movies during the 1930s and 1940s, including the 1937 film "Danger – Love at Work."
In the literary world, there was Lisbon Kendall (1928-2012), an American poet and writer who published several collections of poetry and was known for her contributions to the Beat Generation literary movement.
Moving to the field of sports, Lisbon Smith (1962-present) was a professional basketball player from the United States who played in the NBA for several teams, including the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings, during the 1980s and 1990s.
Lastly, Lisbon Jones (1971-present) is a contemporary British artist and sculptor known for her large-scale public art installations and sculptures, many of which can be found in various cities across the United Kingdom.
While the name Lisbon is not a common one, these individuals have left their mark in various fields, ensuring that the unique name continues to have a presence in historical records.
People
Lisbon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lisbon 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
Lisbon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lisbon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lisbon 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Lisbon a common name?
We classify Lisbon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 16 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lisbon most popular?
The single biggest year for Lisbon was 2022, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lisbon is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Lisbon in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lisbon a female name?
Yes, 68.8% of people registered as Lisbon 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 Lisbon still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lisbon 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 Lisbon 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Lisbon?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Lisbon on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.