The first name Leopold
A boy’s name from German meaning “people”, “bold”, “lion”.
Pronounced /ˈliːəpoʊld/ 3 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
German origin
Leopold means “people”, “bold”, “lion” in German.
From Old French Leopold, from Old High German liut (“people”) + bald (“bold”). The first part is sometimes associated by folk etymology with Latin leo (“lion”), as in Leo and Leonard. More at lede, bold.
More names that mean brave, lion.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 11 boys were named Leopold, making it the 2,133rd most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2018, with 31 births (#932).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Leopold with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Leopold at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 76 boys born in the United States were named Leopold, the 2,001st most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2020, when 120 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Leopold in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Leopold in Catalan, Czech, Dutch, German, Polish and Slovak too.
Famous people named Leopold
165 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Léopold Sédar SenghorFirst president of Senegal, poet, and cultural theorist (1906–2001)
- Leopold von RankeGerman historian and founder of modern source-based history (1795-1886)
- Leopold MozartGerman composer (1719–1787)
- Leopold RužičkaCroatian scientist (1887-1976)
- Leopold KroneckerGerman mathematician who worked on number theory and algebra (1823–1891)
- Leopold von Sacher-MasochAustrian author (1836–1895)
- Leopold StokowskiBritish-born American conductor (1882–1977)
- Leopold III, Duke of AustriaCo-ruler of Austria, Styria, Carinthia and Tyrol, then sole ruler of Styria, Carinthia and, 1351–1386
- Christian Leopold von BuchGerman geologist (1774-1853)
- Leopold V, Duke of AustriaAustrian duke, 1157–1195
- Leopold VI, Duke of AustriaAustrian duke, 1176–1230
- Leopold FitzingerAustrian zoologist (1802-1884)
More German boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Leopold mean?
- Leopold means “people”, “bold”, “lion” in German.
- What is the origin of the name Leopold?
- From Old French Leopold, from Old High German liut (“people”) + bald (“bold”). The first part is sometimes associated by folk etymology with Latin leo (“lion”), as in Leo and Leonard. More at lede, bold.
- How popular is the name Leopold?
- In 2025, 11 boys born in England and Wales were named Leopold, ranking 2,133rd. Its peak was 2018, with 31 births.
- Is Leopold a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 4,043 US babies named Leopold since 1880 were boys.
- When was Leopold most popular?
- 2020 in the United States, when 120 babies were named Leopold, its highest rank at 1,444th.
- How do you pronounce Leopold?
- Leopold is /ˈliːəpoʊld/, 3 syllables.
- Is Leopold also a surname?
- Yes. Leopold is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.