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Napoleon

Napoleon is a boy's name of French origin meaning “Naples and lion.” Its exact origin is debated among name scholars. In 2024 it was given to 12 boys in the United States.

Napoleon at a glance

Gender
Boy name
Origin
French · Italian
Meaning
“Naples and lion”
Pronunciation
/nəˈpəʊ.li.ən/
Also spelled
Italian

About the name Napoleon

Napoleon belongs to the French and Italian tradition. Its meaning — “Naples and lion” — is the sense carried by its French roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page. It travels in a few spellings: Italian.

In the United States, Napoleon first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #297 in 1887, and in 2024 12 babies received the name — 7,782 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Napoleon in US records

First recorded (US)
1880
Best US rank
#297 in 1887
Peak year
1926
Babies named Napoleon in 2024
12
Total since 1880
7,782

Spellings & short forms

Italian

Similar names

More names from the French shelf:

CharlesFrenchAndrewFrenchJeffreyFrenchGaryFrenchJustinFrenchRaymondFrenchHenryFrenchPatrickFrench

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Napoleon mean?

Napoleon means “Naples and lion” in its French roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Napoleon a boy or girl name?

Napoleon is a boy name. In 2024, 12 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Napoleon?

Napoleon comes from the French and Italian tradition. It is also spelled Italian.

How popular is the name Napoleon?

Napoleon first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #297 in 1887, and 12 babies were given the name in 2024.

How do you pronounce Napoleon?

Napoleon is pronounced /nəˈpəʊ.li.ən/ (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.