Fun Facts About the Name Leidy
- 869 babies named Leidy: U.S. records list 869 babies given the name Leidy from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Leidy Mean?
Leidy is a feminine given name used mainly in Spanish-speaking countries. It is most often explained as an adapted spelling of the English word name Lady, which descends from Old English hlǣfdige. That compound joins hlāf ("loaf, bread") with a second element related to kneading or preparing bread, so the older literal sense was something like "loaf-kneader" - the woman who made the household's bread, and by extension the mistress of a household. The plain meaning "lady" is the customary interpretation rather than a word-for-word translation.
The spelling is not fixed. Leydi, Leidys, and Leydis also appear, and these forms reflect Spanish conventions for writing a sound close to English "lay-dee." Because the explanation rests on the name's resemblance to an English word rather than on a documented chain of records, the link to Lady is best treated as the likely derivation, not a certainty. A surname spelled Leidy also exists, and the Greek name Leda is occasionally suggested as a source, but neither connection is established for the given name.
Leidy Name History & Origins
Leidy appears as a given name chiefly in Colombia, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and other Spanish-speaking parts of Latin America. It belongs to a broad group of Latin American names reshaped from English words and names, spelled so that Spanish readers would produce something close to the English sound. Within that pattern, Leidy is generally understood as a respelling of Lady.
In English-speaking countries, Leidy is met far more often as a surname than as a first name; it is the surname of the American paleontologist Joseph Leidy (1823 - 1891). That surname use is distinct from the Latin American given name, even though the two are spelled the same way.
How Popular is the Name Leidy?
Leidy has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2006. Its best rank was #3,290 in 2006.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,834 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 2024 | #4,711 | 29 | 0.0018% |
| 2023 | #5,483 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 2022 | #5,563 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 2021 | #6,556 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2020 | #5,413 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 2019 | #4,846 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 2018 | #5,089 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2017 | #4,534 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2016 | #3,443 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 2015 | #4,932 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2014 | #5,905 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2013 | #5,585 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 2012 | #6,754 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2011 | #6,051 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2010 | #4,457 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2009 | #4,430 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 2008 | #3,976 | 40 | 0.0021% |
| 2007 | #4,102 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 2006 | #3,290 | 50 | 0.0026% |
| 2005 | #4,323 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2004 | #5,015 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2003 | #4,884 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2002 | #5,369 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2001 | #6,210 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2000 | #5,246 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1999 | #6,694 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1998 | #5,709 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1997 | #7,101 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1996 | #6,965 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1995 | #10,111 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #11,237 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #7,817 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1992 | #9,173 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1991 | #7,210 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1990 | #6,697 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1989 | #9,239 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #9,865 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #12,364 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #8,251 | 6 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Leidy Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You always bring to completion anything you start. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. You have an executive ability, you are a leader. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. You always think before you act. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Leidy's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Leidy's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.