Leon
Meaning
lion (Greek leon); a borrowed English name in Hong Kong; carried by Leon Lai, the fourth of the Four Heavenly Kings
Also written Léon.
The story
Leon is the lion, straight from the Greek leon, and it is one of the few names whose meaning has never needed a hedge. It travelled everywhere: thirteen popes took it, Spanish has the city and the old kingdom, and our own data files the name in Polish, German and Cantonese naming communities, the last because Leon is one of the English names Hong Kong families commonly adopt. In US records it is a boys' name, about 181,000 to 1,400, and it was once genuinely huge: nearly 25,900 babies in the 1920s. It then fell for eighty years to about 5,100 in the 2000s before turning back up to more than 14,100 so far this decade. A full arc, from a mainstay to nearly forgotten to chosen again, inside one set of records.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Leon peaked in the 2020s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
6,165 people · the #2,367 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 33,333 · median age 20
Among people named Leon living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1990s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 1,089 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Leon
People given the name Leon in the United States span the generations: the middle half were born anywhere from 1950 to 2019. Age is the one thing the name won't tell you.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Leon deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Leon truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Leon fits with your family’s names and surname.
Where Leon travels
Chinese American · a classic-into-modern crossover pick that echoes 良 (liáng, "good, fine")
Global crossover · a top-10 boys' name in Germany for years and a steady climber in the US
Keep exploring
Names like Leon · Greek baby names · German baby names · Global crossover names · Chinese American baby names · Cantonese and Hong Kong baby names · Polish baby names · Short names
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