Lennie is a pet form of Leonard, from the Germanic words for "lion" and "brave", and also of Lena and Helen, so for a girl it is usually read through Helen as "torch" or shining light. The friendly nickname has recently joined Billie and Frankie as a stand-alone name for girls. Lennie ranked number 10557 for girls in 2015 and has climbed steeply since, reaching number 2557 in 2025, its best position so far.