Lenni

Lenni can refer to several distinct uses, including an ethnolinguistic group, a place in Pennsylvania, and as a given name. The most prominent historical association is with the Lenni Lenape, the Indigenous people commonly known in English as the Delaware.

Lenni Lenape refers to a Native American group whose own name for themselves is Lenape, meaning “the people.” The term Lenni Lenape is a longer form that has appeared in various historical and colonial writings, often interpreted as “Original People” or “Original Native People.” The Lenape inhabited much of the northeastern United States, especially along the Delaware River, in what are now Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. They spoke Algonquian languages, with distinct dialects such as Unami and Munsee, and they organized through seasonal patterns, agriculture, hunting, and trade networks. European contact from the 16th century onward led to treaties, displacement, and shifting communities. Today, descendants belong to federally recognized tribes and cultural organizations across several states, preserving language, art, and tradition.

Lenni also denotes a small community in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Lenni is an unincorporated area within Middletown Township, named in reference to the Lenape people. It forms part of the Philadelphia metropolitan region and is characterized by a mix of residential and rural landscapes, with local institutions serving residents in the surrounding townships.

As a given name, Lenni is used in several countries as a masculine name. In Finland and other Nordic regions, Lenni is a common standalone name and is often seen as a derivative of Leonard or Lennart. In some contexts, it is also used as a diminutive form, reflecting broader European naming practices.