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BabyNames
Boy name#591 of boy names

Lionel

Pronounced L AY1 AH0 N AH0 L (ARPABET)

  • 3 syllables
  • Peaked 2023
  • 145 years in use
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How popular is Lionel?

Lionel is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 33,599 children — the 591st most common boys' name on record.

It is climbing hard: roughly twice as many births in the past decade as in the one before it. Its best single year was 2023, when 618 children were given it.

02505007501,00018901920195019802010
2023Boys: 618Girls: 0

Characteristics

  • Alliterative
  • 3 syllables
Phonetic detail
Pronunciations:
L AY1 AH0 N AH0 L
Stress pattern:
100
Syllables:
3

Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.

Names like Lionel

Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.

Sibling names for Lionel

Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.

Frequently asked questions

How popular is the name Lionel?
Lionel ranks 591st among boys' names in US records, with 33,599 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 4,669.
Is Lionel a unisex name?
No. Lionel is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
When was Lionel most popular?
2023, when 618 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.