Lemuel
A boy's name of Hebrew origin with 9,890 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
A king mentioned in the Proverbs.
Lemuel is a boy's baby name of Hebrew origin meaning 'devoted to God' or 'belonging to God.' In the Bible, Lemuel is a king whose mother gave him wise counsel recorded in Proverbs 31 — including the famous passage about the virtuous woman.
Lemuel has a distinguished literary history as the full name of Lemuel Gulliver, the protagonist of Jonathan Swift's 1726 satirical masterpiece Gulliver's Travels. With over 9,800 U.S. births, it carries a distinctive Old Testament weight with an understated literary cool.
EtymologyShow more
The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Lemuel's final sounds are sharp, distinct — ending on a consonant gives it a firm, clear close. In English-language naming, masculine names frequently end on harder consonants or closed syllables, creating a sense of decisiveness and strength. Lemuel follows that masculine pattern.
Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Lemuel's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Lemuel climbed 630 spots in the last 20 years — from #2772 to #2142.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 336 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 634 | ▲ |
| 2000s | 479 | ▼ |
| 1990s | 533 | — |
| 1980s | 571 | ▼ |
| 1970s | 670 | ▼ |
| 1960s | 881 | ▼ |
| 1950s | 1,001 | ▲ |
| 1940s | 865 | — |
| 1930s | 895 | ▼ |
| 1920s | 1,242 | ▲ |
| 1910s | 873 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 255 | — |
| 1890s | 255 | ▼ |
| 1880s | 400 | — |
The Story of Lemuel
A Greatest Generation name
Peaking in 1921, Lemuel is a name steeped in history. Boys named Lemuel are most likely born between 1911 and 1931.
How rare is Lemuel?
Only about 1 in every 52,174 babies born in 2024 was named Lemuel — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1880, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1920s with 1,242 births that decade, and has gracefully settled into a quieter chapter.
Lemuel by the numbers
- Would fill 206 school buses
- Meeting one Lemuel per day would take 27.1 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(145 years, 1880–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 69 | #2142 |
| 2023 | 67 | #2164 |
| 2022 | 73 | #2070 |
| 2021 | 62 | #2266 |
| 2020 | 65 | #2157 |
| 2019 | 72 | #2033 |
| 2018 | 82 | #1848 |
| 2017 | 71 | #2009 |
| 2016 | 48 | #2606 |
| 2015 | 72 | #2008 |
| 2014 | 70 | #2033 |
| 2013 | 64 | #2104 |
| 2012 | 52 | #2435 |
| 2011 | 51 | #2464 |
| 2010 | 52 | #2421 |
| 2009 | 34 | #3306 |
| 2008 | 57 | #2310 |
| 2007 | 38 | #3059 |
| 2006 | 63 | #2091 |
| 2005 | 43 | #2595 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lemuel a boy's or girl's name?
When was Lemuel most popular?
How popular is the name Lemuel?
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Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1880–2024