Given name & surname
Leon
“resembling a lion”·“having the strength of a lion”
In English use, Leon is a diminutive of Leonard. One German interpretation is “having the strength of a lion.”
Original GreekΛέων
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Greek use, Leon carries the interpretation “resembling a lion.” In English use, Leon is a diminutive of Leonard. One German interpretation is “having the strength of a lion.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
How it developed
Leon is used as a form of Leo.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Leon is a diminutive of Leonard. The history of Leonard gives this family its wider story. Use of Leonard was revived during the 19th century.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Leon through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 184,074
- 182,638 boys · 1,436 girls
- Most popular year
- 1924
- 2,714 babies
- 2025
- 2,583
- #138 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +48%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 2,583 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 138 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 48.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 2,677 in 1924. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (416). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 80,997 as a first name in 2020; 85,611 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Leon’s family of names
Leon has a diminutive in Lionel. Leon has a feminine form in Leona. In Swedish usage, Leon has a related form in Leo.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Leon has relatives in 20 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
Ancient Greekwhere Leon comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 31
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Leovariant · German, Swedish
- Leonardofull form · English
- Leonelvariant
- Leonardfull form · English
- Lioneldiminutive
- Levonvariant · German
- Lionvariant · German
- Leonevariant · Italian
Show 23 moreShow fewer
- Leonciovariant
- Leonellvariant
- Lionellvariant · German
- Leonnlikely variant
- Lyonelvariant · German
- Leoncevariant
- Lleonlikely variant
- Lewanvariant · Polish
- Lionneevariant
- Lioneevariant
- Lionneyvariant
- Lioneyvariant
- Lionnyvariant
- Lionyvariant
- Lionnievariant
- Lionievariant
- Lionnivariant
- Lionisiovariant
- Lionivariant
- Leonekdiminutive · Polish
- Leontijevariant · German
- Leónvariant · German, Spanish
- Léonvariant · German, French
Spellings & scripts 5
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 27
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Λέωνroot · Greek, Ancient Greek
- Leonafeminine form · Slovene, English
- Leonidasequivalent
- Levequivalent
- Lyonequivalent
- Legiondoublet
- Leonidequivalent
- Lewdoublet · Polish
Show 19 moreShow fewer
- Leoniafeminine form
- Joleonequivalent
- ლევანიequivalent
- ЛеоRussian
- Léonnefeminine form
- Léoniefeminine form
- Léoequivalent
- Léonideequivalent
- Λεωνίδαςequivalent
- Leãoequivalent
- Lleóequivalent
- Leóequivalent
- Léonidasequivalent
- Леўequivalent
- ЛевUkrainian, Russian
- LeonsLatvian
- LeonoEsperanto
- ЛявонBelarusian
- Leudoublet · Romanian
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Leon
- Leon Battista AlbertiItalian architect and writer (1404-1472)
- Leon M. LedermanAmerican mathematician and physicist1922–2018
- Leon CooperAmerican physicist (1930–2024)
- Leo VI the WiseByzantine Emperor866–912
- Leo IEastern Roman emperor from 457 to 474401–474
- Leon GoretzkaGerman association football playerborn 1995
- Leon PanettaAmerican politician, Secretary of Defense 2011–2013born 1938
- Léon M'baPrime Minister (1959–61) and President (1961–67) of Gabon1902–1967
- Leon FestingerAmerican psychologist1919–1989
Characters named Leon: Leon S. Kennedy (Resident Evil 2).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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If you love Leon, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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