# Leon (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/leon/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | boys |
| Origin | Latin |
| Meaning | “lion” |
| Pronunciation | /ˈli.ɑn/, 2 syllables |
| Nicknames | none recorded |
| Variant spellings | León, Léon |
| US babies named this | 184,074 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 182,638 / 1,436 (1% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 22,834, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

Ultimately from Latin Leo and leo (“lion”), from Ancient Greek Λέων (Léōn) and λέων (léōn, “lion”), likely ultimately from a non-Indo-European language. Sometimes via other related languages such as French Léon and sometimes as a diminutive of related names such as Leonard and Leonardo.

## What it means

Leon is grouped under lion.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 12 | 5,381 |
| 1978 | 12 | 5,391 |
| 1979 | 15 | 4,754 |
| 1980 | 14 | 5,116 |
| 1981 | 13 | 5,442 |
| 1982 | 6 | 9,896 |
| 1983 | 10 | 6,478 |
| 1984 | 7 | 8,688 |
| 1985 | 7 | 8,850 |
| 1986 | 9 | 7,457 |
| 1987 | 7 | 9,353 |
| 1991 | 5 | 14,414 |
| 1992 | 5 | 14,540 |
| 2020 | 6 | 14,403 |
| 2022 | 7 | 13,017 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 696 | 406 |
| 2012 | 859 | 356 |
| 2013 | 1,021 | 324 |
| 2014 | 1,081 | 321 |
| 2015 | 1,140 | 314 |
| 2016 | 1,313 | 277 |
| 2017 | 1,518 | 244 |
| 2018 | 1,605 | 238 |
| 2019 | 1,866 | 208 |
| 2020 | 1,924 | 196 |
| 2021 | 2,198 | 177 |
| 2022 | 2,374 | 158 |
| 2023 | 2,459 | 148 |
| 2024 | 2,572 | 141 |
| 2025 | 2,583 | 138 |

### England and Wales, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 1,069 | 62 |
| 2012 | 918 | 72 |
| 2013 | 837 | 75 |
| 2014 | 765 | 85 |
| 2015 | 795 | 85 |
| 2016 | 737 | 92 |
| 2017 | 669 | 98 |
| 2018 | 655 | 97 |
| 2019 | 662 | 93 |
| 2020 | 620 | 93 |
| 2021 | 590 | 101 |
| 2022 | 584 | 95 |
| 2023 | 573 | 91 |
| 2024 | 545 | 100 |
| 2025 | 526 | 101 |

## People named Leon

- Léon Foucault, French physicist (1819–1868)
- Leon M. Lederman, American mathematician and physicist
- Leon Cooper, American physicist (1930–2024)
- Léon Blum, French politician (1872–1950)
- Léon Bourgeois, French statesman (1851-1925)
- Leon Goretzka, German association football player
- Léon Gambetta, French politician (1838-1882)
- Léon Jouhaux, French trade unionist (1879–1954)
- Léon Walras, French mathematical economist (*1834 – †1910)
- Leon Panetta, American politician, Secretary of Defense 2011–2013
- Léon Marchand, French swimmer
- Léon Degrelle, Belgian journalist, politician, SS soldier, fugitive (1906-1994)

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.