Leon: Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, & Inspiration

Boy name origins & meanings

Greek : Lion
German : Lion-hearted
Italian : Fierce one from Naples
African American : Lion in a new city

What does Leon mean and stand for?

The name Leon is of Greek origin and means "lion." It is derived from the Greek leon, meaning the same thing. During the Middle Ages, this was a common name among Jewish people.

Syllables: 2

Boy name variations

Family name origins & meanings

Spanish (León) : habitational name from León, a city in northwestern Spain, named with Latin legio, genitive legionis ‘legion’, a division of the Roman army. In Roman times the city was the garrison of the 7th Legion, known as the Legio Gemina. The city’s name became reduced from Legion(em) to Leon(em), and in this form developed an unetymological association with the word for ‘lion’, Spanish león.
Spanish : from the personal name León, from Greek leōn ‘lion’ (see Lyon 2). Leon is also found as a Greek family name.
Spanish : nickname for a fierce or brave warrior, from león ‘lion’.
French (Léon) and English : variant of Lyon.

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Leon has been increasing in popularity, breaking the top 200 for the first time in 2020. Its peak rank was also in 2020, at position 196.

However, it is the 30th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Leon was at its peak popularity in November 2016.

Leon peaked in the 1920s and is slowly making its way back into the limelight. Leon Trotsky, the Russian Marxist revolutionary, is perhaps the most notable namesake. Other namesakes include founder of L.L. Bean Leon Leonwood Bean, singer Leon Eric "Kix" Brooks, comedian Leon Curtis Frierson, musician Leon Russell, and singer LÉON (Lotta Lindgren). Leon has also been a popular choice for fictional characters, appearing in Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Simpsons, NCIS, Eloise at the Plaza, and Fast and Furious.