Leif is a distinctive choice, ranked #814 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Leif in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#814
US Rank #925
About the Name Leif
2024 marks Leif's peak year in UK records so far, sitting at UK #814. The name has climbed 734 places in the last five years — a significant surge by any measure. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Leif is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it sits at #925 — notably more popular in the UK than across the Atlantic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Leif
Unlikely. With around 40 UK babies named Leif per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Leif in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Leif is currently rising in popularity in the UK, up 734 places over the last five years to #814 in 2024. If this trend continues, it will become more common in classrooms over the next decade.
Leif is more popular in the UK (#814) than in the US (#925). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Leif include: Leif Lahn Jensen — Leif Lahn Jensen is a Danish politician who is a member of the Folketing for the Social Democrats.; Leif Möller — Leif Åke Möller is a retired Swedish Olympic sailor in the Star class.; Leif Johansson (businessman) — Leif Valdemar Johansson is a Swedish businessman..
Leif ranks #925 in the US top 1,000 (2024). It's recognised in America but considerably more popular in the UK.
40
UK babies named Leif (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 734 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Leif
Likely around 1 other Leif in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Leif
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Leif Lahn Jensen is a Danish politician who is a member of the Folketing for the Social Democrats. He was elected into parliament at the 2007 Danish general election.
Leif Åke Möller is a retired Swedish Olympic sailor in the Star class. He competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics together with Mats Johansson, where they finished 13th.
Leif Valdemar Johansson is a Swedish businessman. He was President and CEO of the Volvo Group from 1997 to 2011 and Chairman of Ericsson from 2011 until 2017 and is currently Chairman of AstraZeneca plc.
Leif Mikkelsen is a Danish handball coach, who was the head coach of the Denmark men's national handball team from 1977 to 1987. His team has been descriped as the first modern Danish handball team.
Leif Uvemark was a Swedish trumpeter and conductor of Leif Uvemark Bigband. Born in Malmö in 1939, he played in the NDR Bigband in Hamburg for several years and with James Last orchestra 1969-1975.
Leif Roscher Roschberg, known professionally as one half of the Rocky Twins, was a Norwegian dancer, actor, and painter. He rose to international superstardom during the Jazz Age as a symbol of androgynous glamour and high-fashion drag.
Leif Erikson, also known as Leif the Lucky, was a Norse explorer who is thought to have been the first European to set foot on continental America, approximately half a millennium before Christopher Columbus. According to the sagas of Icelanders, he established a Norse settlement at Vinland, which is usually interpreted as being coastal North America.