Leon Boy

Popularity: #137 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: LEE-on /ˈliːən/

Origin: Greek; Latin

Meaning: Greek: lion; Latin: brave

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Leon has its roots in the Greek word "leon," which translates to "lion." This etymology reflects the symbolic associations of strength and courage often attributed to lions in various cultures. The name was adopted into Latin as "Leo," which maintained the same meaning and became widely used in the Roman Empire.

From Latin, it transitioned into Old French as "Leon," before finally entering the English language, where it has been used since the Middle Ages. Historically, the name Leon has been borne by several notable figures, including saints and popes.

One of the most significant early bearers was Saint Leo the Great, who served as pope from 440 to 461 AD. He is renowned for his theological contributions and for defining the nature of Christ at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD.

The name's association with this influential figure helped to establish its prominence in Christian contexts. Additionally, the name has appeared in various forms across different cultures, including "Leonidas," the name of the famous Spartan king who fought at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC, further cementing the name's connection to valor and leadership.

Culturally, the lion has been a powerful symbol throughout history, representing nobility, bravery, and royalty. This symbolism has contributed to the name's enduring appeal across various cultures and languages.

In literature and art, lions often symbolize strength and majesty, reinforcing the positive connotations associated with the name Leon. The name has also inspired various diminutive forms, such as Leo, which has been used in different cultures, maintaining the original meaning while offering a more familiar or affectionate variant.

Overall, the name Leon carries a rich historical and cultural legacy that underscores its significance.

Famous people named Leon

In this section, you will find notable people named Leon. 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 Leon who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Leon 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.

Leon Russell is a musician and songwriter best known for A Song for You, Tight Rope, and Lady Blue.

Leon Spinks is a former professional boxer best known for winning the heavyweight title in 1978.

Fictional characters named Leon

The following list of fictional characters named Leon 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.

Leon is a fictional character from the film Léon: The Professional. He is a skilled hitman who becomes the reluctant guardian of a young girl after her family is murdered.

Sibling suggestions

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

LeoLiamLucaLorenzoLandonLyle

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Leon. 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.

LeonardLorenLeviLanceLorenzoLucaLiamLyle

U.S. Historical Usage

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

Leon has ranked as high as #184 nationally, which occurred in 1924, and has been most popular in New York, Texas, California, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Leon 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 Leon 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 Leon.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 2,583 2,583 0
2024 2,572 2,572 0
2023 2,459 2,459 0
2022 2,381 2,374 7
2021 2,198 2,198 0
2020 1,930 1,924 6
2019 1,866 1,866 0
2018 1,605 1,605 0
2017 1,518 1,518 0
2016 1,313 1,313 0
2015 1,140 1,140 0
2014 1,081 1,081 0
2013 1,021 1,021 0
2012 859 859 0
2011 696 696 0
2010 669 669 0
2009 628 628 0
2008 549 549 0
2007 543 543 0
2006 517 517 0
2005 470 470 0
2004 462 462 0
2003 495 495 0
2002 472 472 0
2001 469 469 0
2000 457 457 0
1999 463 463 0
1998 460 460 0
1997 436 436 0
1996 473 473 0
1995 503 503 0
1994 544 544 0
1993 531 531 0
1992 596 591 5
1991 586 581 5
1990 594 594 0
1989 647 647 0
1988 675 675 0
1987 669 662 7
1986 697 688 9
1985 734 727 7
1984 804 797 7
1983 794 784 10
1982 880 874 6
1981 882 869 13
1980 918 904 14
1979 922 907 15
1978 936 924 12
1977 960 948 12
1976 940 924 16
1975 894 884 10
1974 980 973 7
1973 1,013 1,008 5
1972 1,040 1,024 16
1971 1,052 1,040 12
1970 1,232 1,222 10
1969 1,159 1,151 8
1968 1,205 1,197 8
1967 1,207 1,198 9
1966 1,321 1,308 13
1965 1,272 1,263 9
1964 1,498 1,482 16
1963 1,492 1,477 15
1962 1,557 1,542 15
1961 1,575 1,558 17
1960 1,666 1,647 19
1959 1,758 1,748 10
1958 1,942 1,932 10
1957 1,905 1,888 17
1956 2,056 2,043 13
1955 2,158 2,141 17
1954 2,158 2,146 12
1953 2,285 2,273 12
1952 2,385 2,377 8
1951 2,380 2,366 14
1950 2,441 2,427 14
1949 2,436 2,425 11
1948 2,397 2,384 13
1947 2,505 2,487 18
1946 2,346 2,339 7
1945 2,109 2,098 11
1944 2,158 2,151 7
1943 2,462 2,451 11
1942 2,561 2,550 11
1941 2,389 2,375 14
1940 2,331 2,318 13
1939 2,340 2,327 13
1938 2,369 2,355 14
1937 2,347 2,325 22
1936 2,291 2,282 9
1935 2,295 2,282 13
1934 2,325 2,306 19
1933 2,203 2,187 16
1932 2,323 2,295 28
1931 2,272 2,245 27
1930 2,424 2,401 23
1929 2,357 2,336 21
1928 2,486 2,460 26
1927 2,639 2,602 37
1926 2,676 2,647 29
1925 2,663 2,636 27
1924 2,714 2,677 37
1923 2,565 2,528 37
1922 2,552 2,521 31
1921 2,643 2,616 27
1920 2,596 2,554 42
1919 2,284 2,250 34
1918 2,472 2,442 30
1917 2,131 2,102 29
1916 1,981 1,954 27
1915 2,008 1,977 31
1914 1,431 1,414 17
1913 1,176 1,160 16
1912 1,016 1,006 10
1911 555 540 15
1910 452 435 17
1909 387 377 10
1908 342 327 15
1907 333 324 9
1906 275 263 12
1905 283 274 9
1904 248 241 7
1903 287 287 0
1902 259 248 11
1901 208 208 0
1900 320 310 10
1899 188 188 0
1898 260 251 9
1897 237 229 8
1896 241 235 6
1895 219 219 0
1894 241 236 5
1893 216 211 5
1892 194 187 7
1891 156 150 6
1890 197 197 0
1889 184 184 0
1888 196 196 0
1887 147 147 0
1886 142 142 0
1885 146 146 0
1884 150 150 0
1883 140 140 0
1882 131 131 0
1881 121 121 0
1880 118 118 0

Top States for Leon (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 421
17%
TX 285
11%
NY 165
7%
FL 134
5%
IL 106
4%
PA 91
4%
OH 85
3%
WA 72
3%
MI 72
3%
GA 67
3%
MN 62
2%
IN 60
2%
NC 59
2%
TN 58
2%
AZ 58
2%
CO 56
2%
NJ 51
2%
MA 51
2%
WI 45
2%
VA 44
2%
MO 39
2%
OK 35
1%
OR 32
1%
MD 31
1%
UT 27
1%
KS 26
1%
KY 26
1%
IA 26
1%
SC 24
1%
CT 23
1%
LA 23
1%
NV 21
1%
AL 20
1%
WV 19
1%
ID 17
1%
AR 15
1%
NM 15
1%
MT 12
0%
NE 12
0%
HI 8
0%
NH 7
0%
AK 7
0%
ND 7
0%
ME 7
0%
SD 5
0%
MS 5
0%
RI 5
0%