NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Leanne

Feminine form of the French name Léon, meaning "lion".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Leanne is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Leanne popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2115, with 13 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 616 births.

This profile covers 3,359 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 2% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 7,526 living people in the UK are called Leanne. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Leanne ranked #2115 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 13 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 616 girls were registered as Leanne.
  • Leanne ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #366 in 2010.
  • About 7,526 living people in the UK are estimated to have Leanne as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2115

2024

Births in 2024

13

Latest year

Peak year

1996

616 births

Estimated living

7,526

2026

Meaning

What does Leanne mean?

The name Leanne is a feminine given name of French origin, derived from the French form of the Germanic name Lena or Liena. It is believed to have emerged in the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century.

The name Leanne is thought to be a combination of two Old German elements: "lind" meaning "soft, tender, or mild," and "gard" meaning "protecting or shielding." This suggests that the original meaning of the name was likely "one who is gentle and protective."

While the name does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is possible that its Germanic roots may have been influenced by early Christian traditions or values associated with gentleness and protection.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Leanne can be found in the records of the French region of Normandy in the 13th century. However, it was not until the 16th and 17th centuries that the name gained popularity across Europe.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Leanne. One of the earliest was Leanne de Boulogne (c. 1200-1260), a French noblewoman and countess of Boulogne. Another was Leanne de Gougy (c. 1400-1472), a French poet and courtier during the reign of King Charles VII.

In the 18th century, Leanne Lefebvre (1755-1835) was a French revolutionary who played a significant role in the events leading up to the French Revolution. In the 19th century, Leanne de Villeneuve (1811-1867) was a French novelist and playwright known for her romantic works.

More recently, Leanne Payne (1940-2015) was an American singer and songwriter who achieved success in the 1960s and 1970s with her folk-rock style. She is remembered for her hit songs "Little Arrows" and "Reason to Believe."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Leanne over time

The chart below shows babies named Leanne registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Leanne, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 13 births in 2024, compared with 616 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Leanne
0154308462616199620102024

Decades

Leanne by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Leanne was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #1963 71 5
2010s #1259 294 10
2000s #412 1,206 10
1990s #116 1,788 4

Geography

Where Leanne is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Leanne. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Leanne ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #366 in 2010.

Northern Ireland
4
Scotland
3

Across the UK

Leanne in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#816 in 2013

39 years of NRS records, 4,136 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#366 in 2010

12 years of NISRA records, 121 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Leanne

  • Leanne Mohamad

    British-Palestinian activist (born 2000)

    2000-

  • Leanne Cowan

    association football player

    English footballer

    1996-

  • Leanne Riley

    rugby union player

    rugby union player (1993-)

    1993-

  • Leanne Jones

    association football player

    1993-

  • Leanne Ganney

    ice hockey player

    British ice hockey player

    1991-

  • Leanne Skarratt

    association football player

    English footballer

    1990-

  • Leanne McKenna

    association football player

    English footballer

    1988-

  • Leanne Crow

    pornographic actor; erotic photography model; model

    British glamour model

    1988-

Related

Names similar to Leanne

FAQ

Leanne: questions and answers

How popular is the name Leanne in the UK right now?

In 2024, Leanne was ranked #2115 for girls in England and Wales, with 13 births registered.

When was Leanne most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 616 babies registered as Leanne in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Leanne?

Feminine form of the French name Léon, meaning "lion".

How many people are called Leanne in the UK?

A total of 3,359 babies have been registered as Leanne across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 4,136 more in Scotland and 121 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Leanne most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Leanne ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #366 in 2010. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.