Leander
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Leander
Leander was once an almost unknown name, however, with the popularity of Leo and the rise of Leandro, it now feels like a perfectly accessible alternative to Leon or Alexander. In Greek legend, Leander was the powerful figure who swam across the Hellespont every night to visit his beloved Hero, a priestess of Venus.
Leander for boys#1463 US
Combining the Latin words Leo and Andros, this name has a cool, animal-related meaning, that lends it strength and bravery. A once familiar name in the US, it fell out of favor back in the 40s, though in the last decade, it has nearly doubled in use with almost 120 babies receiving the name in 2023.
While Leander is in the Norwegian Top 100 and the Nameberry Top 200, elsewhere, the Spanish variant Leandro or the French Leandre tend to be favored.
Leander for girls
Usually a male name, but given to a small handful of girls throughout the 20th century. The similarity to Leanne gives it extra traction for girl, though we'd recommend Leandra instead.
Pronounced lee-AN-der.
As of October 2026, Leander ranked #1463 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #326 in 1882, Nameberry popularity #323.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #2,052 | 69 | 35.9 |
| 2015 | #1,969 | 74 | 38.6 |
| 2016 | #1,806 | 84 | 44.3 |
| 2017 | #2,146 | 64 | 34.6 |
| 2018 | #2,182 | 64 | 35.2 |
| 2019 | #1,770 | 88 | 49 |
| 2020 | #1,726 | 90 | 52.1 |
| 2021 | #1,788 | 89 | 50.9 |
| 2022 | #1,593 | 111 | 63.6 |
| 2023 | #1,512 | 117 | 68.4 |
| 2024 | #1,752 | 94 | 54.6 |
| 2025 | #1,463 | 122 | 71.4 |
World rankings
Leander for boys
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Leander on lists
Famous Leanders
- Saint LeanderBoy
Bishop of Seville, circa 534,600, was instrumental in converting the Visigothic kings of Spain and Portugal
- Leander Starr JamesonBoy
1st Baronet, 10th Prime Minister of the Cape Colony
- Leander "Lee" AdamsBoy
Vice journalist and documentary maker
- Leander Adrian PaesBoy
Indian tennis player
- Leander DendonckerBoy
Belgian footballer
- Leander Henry PerezBoy
American judge and politician from Louisiana
- Leander BabcockBoy
US Congressman from New York
- Leander Martin CoxBoy
US Congressman from Kentucky
- Leander James McCormickBoy
American inventor and businessman
- Leander Hamilton McCormickBoy
American inventor; son of the above
- Leander JordanBoy
American NFL player
Leander in pop culture
- LeanderBoy
Greek mythological figure who swam across the strait of Abydos to visit his lover Hero and was drowned one stormy night when he lost his way
- Daphne and Amy LeanderBoy
characters in Lauren DeStefano's "The Internment Chronicles"
- LeanderBoy
penniless and unworthy idealist posing as a nobleman in the Spanish comedy "Los intereses creados" (1908) by Jacinto Benavente
- Leander SydnorBoy
character on the HBO drama The Wire
- Leander Cephas WhitlockBoy
character on HBO's "Boardwalk Empire"
- Leander ClubBoy
founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world, and the oldest non,academic club.
- LeanderBoy
Texas
- LeanderBoy
Danish baby and children's furniture company
- Leander HolmesBoy
Charlotte's uncle in the Charlotte Holmes novels by Brittany Cavallaro