Given name & surname
Leib
“lion”
Leib is used as a given name and a surname. One interpretation is “lion.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One interpretation is “lion.”
Where it comes from
Leib is a variant of Leibel. An origin associated with Leibel is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1958. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Leib through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 448
- 448 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 29 babies
- 2025
- 29
- #3,815 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +69%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 29 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,815 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 69.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (20). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 317 as a first name in 2020; 1,742 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Leib
- Leib KvitkoSoviet Yiddish poet (1890-1952)
- Leib NaidusRussian Empire Yiddish poet (1890–1918)
- Leib YaffeRussian Jewish newspaper editor (1876–1948)
- Leyb GorfinkelLithuanian Jewish activist, politician, journalist, Holocaust survivor (1896-1976)
- Leib LangfusPolish rabbi1910–1944
- Leib GlantzAmerican musician1898–1964
- Leib GurwiczBritish rabbi1906–1982
- Lejb WulmanPolish-American physician (1887-1971)
- Leib MalachJewish Yiddish poet and playwright1894–1936
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Leib, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Lian
“of the willow”
90% boys · 10% girls
Lucca
“surrounded by light”
93% boys · 7% girls
Lucian
“surrounded by light”
>99% boys
Leandro
“lion” · “man”
>99% boys
Eiden
>99% boys
Leonel
“resembling a lion” · “resembling a young lion”
>99% boys
Luciano
“surrounded by light”
>99% boys
Luka
“woman from Lucanus”
99% boys · 1% girls