Leo Boy

Popularity: #19 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: LEE-oh /ˈliː.oʊ/

Origin: Latin; Greek

Meaning: Latin: lion; Greek: brave

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Leo has its roots in the Latin word "leo," which translates to "lion." This Latin term is derived from the Greek word "leōn," which also means "lion." The use of the name in the context of a personal name can be traced back to early Christian times, where it became associated with strength and bravery, qualities attributed to the lion. The name entered the English language through the Old French form "Leu," which was used in medieval times, particularly in the context of the Christian tradition.

Historically, the name Leo has been borne by several notable figures, including a number of popes, with Pope Leo I (circa 400–461) being one of the most significant. He is known for his theological contributions and for asserting the authority of the papacy.

The name also appears in various historical texts and translations, including the Vulgate, the Latin version of the Bible, where it was used to denote strength and leadership. The name gained further prominence through the Renaissance, a period marked by a revival of classical learning and values, during which the lion was often used as a symbol of nobility and courage.

Culturally, the lion has been a powerful symbol across various civilizations, representing majesty, valor, and protection. In heraldry, lions are frequently depicted on coats of arms, emphasizing their association with royalty and strength.

The name Leo, therefore, carries with it a rich tapestry of historical and cultural significance, embodying ideals of bravery and leadership. Additionally, diminutive forms such as Leon or Leo's feminine counterpart, Leonie, have also emerged, further enriching the name's legacy throughout history.

Famous people named Leo

In this section, you will find notable people named Leo. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Leo who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Leo who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Leo Messi is a professional footballer best known for his time at FC Barcelona, winning multiple Ballon d'Or awards and the FIFA World Cup.

Leo Tolstoy is an author best known for War and Peace and Anna Karenina.

Leo Fender is a businessman and inventor best known for founding Fender Musical Instruments Corporation and creating the Stratocaster guitar.

Leo Burnett is an advertising executive best known for founding Leo Burnett Worldwide and creating iconic campaigns for brands like Marlboro and Tony the Tiger.

Fictional characters named Leo

The following list of fictional characters named Leo is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Leo is a fictional character from the animated film The Lion King. He is a young lion who embarks on a journey of self-discovery and responsibility as he learns to embrace his role as king.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Leo, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

LiamNoahEliMaxOwenJude

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Leo. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

TheoMiloNicoZeoCleoRoccoDino

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Leo was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Leo has ranked as high as #34 nationally, which occurred in 2022, and has been most popular in California, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Leo has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Leo is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Leo was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Leo.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 8,196 8,173 23
2024 7,841 7,823 18
2023 8,188 8,160 28
2022 8,325 8,293 32
2021 7,835 7,803 32
2020 7,260 7,229 31
2019 7,526 7,504 22
2018 6,792 6,773 19
2017 5,982 5,965 17
2016 5,312 5,299 13
2015 4,614 4,603 11
2014 3,992 3,976 16
2013 3,520 3,511 9
2012 2,887 2,879 8
2011 2,256 2,250 6
2010 1,946 1,946 0
2009 1,808 1,802 6
2008 1,634 1,628 6
2007 1,531 1,531 0
2006 1,501 1,501 0
2005 1,282 1,275 7
2004 1,244 1,239 5
2003 1,103 1,095 8
2002 815 809 6
2001 736 736 0
2000 658 658 0
1999 524 524 0
1998 527 527 0
1997 458 458 0
1996 447 447 0
1995 451 446 5
1994 474 474 0
1993 462 456 6
1992 469 469 0
1991 506 506 0
1990 431 431 0
1989 433 428 5
1988 457 451 6
1987 459 452 7
1986 415 415 0
1985 452 447 5
1984 430 430 0
1983 436 429 7
1982 489 483 6
1981 539 533 6
1980 473 473 0
1979 484 484 0
1978 485 478 7
1977 489 484 5
1976 488 481 7
1975 523 516 7
1974 511 511 0
1973 517 509 8
1972 557 550 7
1971 658 651 7
1970 707 701 6
1969 741 741 0
1968 700 695 5
1967 775 767 8
1966 856 856 0
1965 908 902 6
1964 1,037 1,028 9
1963 1,022 1,016 6
1962 1,109 1,100 9
1961 1,178 1,178 0
1960 1,213 1,204 9
1959 1,443 1,432 11
1958 1,437 1,428 9
1957 1,520 1,511 9
1956 1,558 1,550 8
1955 1,585 1,576 9
1954 1,619 1,613 6
1953 1,669 1,656 13
1952 1,564 1,558 6
1951 1,663 1,658 5
1950 1,560 1,554 6
1949 1,656 1,646 10
1948 1,723 1,718 5
1947 1,813 1,805 8
1946 1,660 1,647 13
1945 1,593 1,582 11
1944 1,602 1,592 10
1943 1,705 1,694 11
1942 1,815 1,800 15
1941 1,741 1,726 15
1940 1,767 1,752 15
1939 1,856 1,842 14
1938 1,966 1,952 14
1937 2,028 2,015 13
1936 2,033 2,017 16
1935 2,155 2,142 13
1934 2,328 2,309 19
1933 2,375 2,352 23
1932 2,522 2,500 22
1931 2,739 2,700 39
1930 3,081 3,035 46
1929 3,046 3,018 28
1928 3,139 3,095 44
1927 3,594 3,536 58
1926 3,604 3,552 52
1925 3,828 3,775 53
1924 4,038 3,990 48
1923 4,024 3,973 51
1922 3,951 3,901 50
1921 4,116 4,066 50
1920 4,116 4,054 62
1919 3,855 3,802 53
1918 4,098 4,036 62
1917 3,830 3,779 51
1916 3,680 3,621 59
1915 3,575 3,527 48
1914 2,690 2,655 35
1913 2,057 2,031 26
1912 1,671 1,654 17
1911 862 844 18
1910 732 707 25
1909 628 609 19
1908 606 584 22
1907 667 651 16
1906 519 508 11
1905 526 512 14
1904 571 552 19
1903 647 636 11
1902 565 551 14
1901 468 456 12
1900 587 570 17
1899 492 482 10
1898 608 588 20
1897 474 462 12
1896 519 497 22
1895 516 509 7
1894 525 515 10
1893 467 448 19
1892 458 444 14
1891 361 353 8
1890 405 393 12
1889 333 325 8
1888 363 353 10
1887 238 232 6
1886 248 240 8
1885 210 199 11
1884 198 192 6
1883 142 142 0
1882 146 146 0
1881 128 122 6
1880 153 147 6

Top States for Leo (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 1,096
14%
TX 660
8%
NY 556
7%
FL 490
6%
PA 312
4%
OH 305
4%
IL 294
4%
NJ 259
3%
MI 213
3%
MA 207
3%
WA 197
3%
NC 196
3%
AZ 194
2%
VA 189
2%
WI 184
2%
GA 182
2%
IN 162
2%
MN 162
2%
CO 154
2%
TN 138
2%
MO 128
2%
MD 125
2%
CT 115
1%
UT 107
1%
OR 99
1%
IA 95
1%
KY 80
1%
OK 76
1%
KS 70
1%
LA 62
1%
NE 58
1%
SC 57
1%
AL 56
1%
NV 52
1%
AR 50
1%
ID 42
1%
NH 37
0%
NM 36
0%
ME 31
0%
DC 31
0%
WV 31
0%
DE 30
0%
ND 28
0%
HI 27
0%
RI 24
0%
MS 24
0%
SD 20
0%
MT 17
0%
VT 14
0%
AK 11
0%
WY 10
0%