Leni is a German short form of names such as Helene, from the Greek Helena, "torch" or "bright light", and of Magdalena. It has long been a favorite stand-alone name in Germany and Austria and has recently caught on in the United States as a sweet, minimalist option. Leni was almost unused in America in 2000 and has climbed from number 3814 in 2015 to number 1179 in 2025, its highest rank so far.