Leon

Leon is a boy's name of Spanish origin meaning “lion.” In 2024 it was given to 2,547 boys in the United States.

Leon at a glance

Gender
Boy name
Origin
Spanish · English & American · German · French
Meaning
“lion”
Pronunciation
/ˈliː.ɒn/

About the name Leon

Leon belongs to the Spanish and English & American tradition. Its meaning — “lion” — is the sense carried by its Spanish roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page.

In the United States, Leon first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #73 in 1926, and in 2024 2,547 babies received the name — 180,022 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Leon in US records

First recorded (US)
1880
Best US rank
#73 in 1926
Peak year
1924
Babies named Leon in 2024
2,547
Total since 1880
180,022

Similar names

More names from the Spanish shelf:

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Leon mean?

Leon means “lion” in its Spanish roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Leon a boy or girl name?

Leon is a boy name. In 2024, 2,547 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Leon?

Leon comes from the Spanish, English & American, German and French tradition.

How popular is the name Leon?

Leon first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #73 in 1926, and 2,547 babies were given the name in 2024.

How do you pronounce Leon?

Leon is pronounced /ˈliː.ɒn/ (IPA).

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.