Leticia
Leticia was the 1707th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 120 babies. Its best year was 1976, when it ranked 232nd; the most babies were born in 1980 (1,070). Over the last ten years it has moved down 234 places. More babies were named Leticia in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning "joy, gladness" · Spanish, Latin
Say it leh-TEE-shuh /ləˈtiʃə/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,707 girls, down 23 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 120girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19801,070 babies
- Total since 1880
- 43,199babies recorded
What does the name Leticia mean?
Leticia is the Spanish form of the Latin name Laetitia, from laetitia, "joy, gladness". Wiktionary notes it was the name of an early Spanish saint. The same Latin name gave the medieval English Lettice, which DMNES records with the pet form Lete in 1379, and the later Letitia. In the US Leticia was most common in the 1970s.
laetitia (Latin, “joy, gladness”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Letitia, Lettice, Laetitia, Letty, Leti.
See also: Latin names, names that mean joy.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Leticia', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Lettice', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Leticia', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Leticia
The usual nicknames for Leticia are Leti and Tish.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leti | Traditional | — | — |
| Tish | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Leticias go by each one.
Leticia popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 215 since 1960.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,707 | 120 |
| 2020 | #1,684 | 122 |
| 2010 | #1,072 | 232 |
| 2000 | #558 | 468 |
| 1990 | #340 | 782 |
| 1980 | #241 | 1,070 |
| 1970 | #297 | 973 |
| 1960 | #343 | 772 |
| 1950 | #837 | 110 |
| 1940 | #1,455 | 28 |
| 1930 | #2,965 | 10 |
| 1920 | #3,483 | 9 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Leticia, counting every spelling?
Leticia is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,536 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,707 for Leticia on its own. Together these spellings went to 120 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leticia | 120 | #1,707 | 604 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Leticia?
120 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Leticia (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Leticia born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 70 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Leticia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Leticia?
About 39,900 people born in the US named Leticia are alive today, with a median age of 47; half are between 34 and 57. That makes Leticia mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Leticia by state
How common Leticia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Florida (1.9×), California (1.7×), Texas (1.6×). In 42 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Leticia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Leticia, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Leticia · Sibling names for Leticia
Questions about the name Leticia
What does Leticia mean?
Leticia means “"joy, gladness"” (Spanish, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Leticia?
Leticia was the 1707th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 120 babies. Its best year was 1976, when it ranked 232nd; the most babies were born in 1980 (1,070). Over the last ten years it has moved down 234 places. More babies were named Leticia in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is Leticia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Leticia in the US.
Where is Leticia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Leticia was most common in Florida (0.14 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Nevada.