Every Boy Name

Boy's name

Leo

Say it LEE-oh 2 syllables

Latin · “lion”

Loved across France, the UK, Canada, and 16 more places. Common in Italy, Poland, Israel, and 7 more places.

1 in 83 boys born in England and Wales in 2025. Number 3 there.

Leo in every place

Rank, count and share in all 40 places: loved in 24, common in 10, rare in 0.
Leo in every place we hold figures for
Place Rankyear Boysshare 5 years earlier
British Isles
England and Wales3 (up)20253,2781 in 8362020
Scotland7 (down)20252361 in 8342020
Northern Ireland5 (up)20251151 in 72112020
Ireland10 (up)20252611 in 91282020
North America
Ontario (province)10 (up)2024462about 1 in 130172019
Quebec (province)2 (up)2025553about 1 in 5352020
British Columbia (province)6 (up)2023129about 1 in 101102018
Nova Scotia (province)10 (up)202524142020
Oceania
New South Wales (state)5 (down)202537942020
Victoria (state)4 (up)202538372020
Queensland (state)8202525682020
South Australia (state)4202510142020
New Zealand6 (down)202516842020
Western Europe
France (as Léo)3 (down)20253,5901 in 8412020
Netherlands93 (up)2025168about 1 in 3962012020
Central Europe
Austria7 (up)20255301 in 72132020
Switzerland6 (up)20253481 in 103132020
Berlin (city)7 (up)2023136about 1 in 114282018
Munich (city)5 (up)202574about 1 in 59142020
Cologne (city)2 (up)202381about 1 in 79182018
Bonn (city)3 (up)202541about 1 in 77222020
Leipzig (city)25 (up)202516about 1 in 180402020
Rostock (city)21 (up)20257about 1 in 150332020
Nordic countries
Norway28 (up)20252011 in 116322020
Sweden92025510about 1 in 8592020
DenmarkNot in the published top 502025Not listed2020
Finland22025328No list2020
IcelandNot in the published top 102025No list2020
Southern Europe
Spain4 (up)20242,55052019
Catalonia (region)9 (down)20252981 in 6952020
Italy90 (up)20243191 in 594932019
Central and Eastern Europe
Poland47 (up)20256051 in 209832020
Hungary (as Leó)86 (new in the list)2025108Not listed2020
Slovenia33 (up)202554about 1 in 134442020
EstoniaNot in the published top 272025Not listed2020
Moscow (city)Not in the published top 612025Not listed2020
Croatia242025208No list2020
Middle East
TurkeyNot in the published top 302025Not listed2020
Israel (published as ליאו)95 (down)2024256about 1 in 332752019
Latin America
ArgentinaNot in the published top 202024Not listed2019

Germany publishes no national list; the German rows are city registers. Israel publishes names in Hebrew script; the original is shown beside the name. About: the publisher leaves out its smallest names, so the share is approximate. ▲ and ▼ compare the rank with five years earlier. Not listed five years earlier: not in that year’s list. No list: the place published no list that year. How these figures are computed.

About the name

Few names are as direct as Leo: it is simply the Latin word for 'lion', matching the Greek léōn. The word travelled a long way before it reached Rome, and the same root gives Leon, Lionel and Lev.

2 more paragraphs

Short and bright, it has two syllables, LEE-oh, ending on an open vowel that suits almost any surname. Accented spellings such as Léo and Leó are also in use.

Leo is one of the strongest boys' names of the moment across a wide spread of countries. It ranks near the very top in Quebec, England and Wales and Victoria, and does just as well in Finland, France and Spain. French records show a peak only a few years ago, and it is still rising in most of the places that list it, falling in hardly any.

Meaning, origin and how to say it

Say it
LEE-oh · 2 syllables · Stress on beat 1 of 2.
Meaning
“lion”
Origin
Latin
Spellings counted
Counted together with Leo here: Leó, Léo.
Related names
Leon, Lion, Lionel, Lev, Lyon, Leonid, Leonis, Lleó, Leao, Leone, Leu, Léonide, Léonidas, Leonidas, Leão, Lew
Where Leo comes from (Wiktionary)

From Latin leō (“lion”), calque of Ancient Greek λέων (léōn), calque of Akkadian 𒉈𒍑 (nēšu)/Akkadian 𒌨𒄞𒆷 (urgulû), from Sumerian 𒌨𒄞𒆷 (UR.GU.LA, “lion; name of constellation”). Doublet of Leon, leu, lev, lion, and Lyon.

Shortened from the Wiktionary entry for Leo. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Leo over time

Rising in 7 of the 31 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 1. Peak in France: 2019.

Rank in England and Wales, 1996 to 2025

Leo in England and Wales: #210 in 1996, rising to a peak of #3 in 2025.

#1#10#50#100#300200020052010201520202025Top 101996: #210, 149 boys1997: #212, 154 boys1998: #176, 192 boys1999: #160, 216 boys2000: #142, 261 boys2001: #101, 504 boys2002: #88, 601 boys2003: #77, 774 boys2004: #57, 1,119 boys2005: #37, 1,723 boys2006: #33, 2,047 boys2007: #43, 1,697 boys2008: #40, 1,903 boys2009: #40, 2,011 boys2010: #36, 2,123 boys2011: #27, 2,664 boys2012: #20, 3,134 boys2013: #17, 3,264 boys2014: #16, 3,414 boys2015: #15, 3,468 boys2016: #13, 3,563 boys2017: #7, 3,781 boys2018: #6, 3,721 boys2019: #6, 3,637 boys2020: #6, 3,314 boys2021: #6, 3,465 boys2022: #5, 3,610 boys2023: #5, 3,416 boys2024: #5, 3,324 boys2025: #3, 3,278 boys#210 in 1996#3in 2025
Show the numbers
YearRankBoys
1996210149
1997212154
1998176192
1999160216
2000142261
2001101504
200288601
200377774
2004571,119
2005371,723
2006332,047
2007431,697
2008401,903
2009402,011
2010362,123
2011272,664
2012203,134
2013173,264
2014163,414
2015153,468
2016133,563
201773,781
201863,721
201963,637
202063,314
202163,465
202253,610
202353,416
202453,324
202533,278

Source: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3)

The long view: in France

Half of the boys named Leo in France since 1925 were born in or after 2011. Peak: 2019, about 1,370 per 100,000 boys. Babies per 100,000 boys, five-year periods.

1925-1929: 25.3 per 100,000 boys1930-1934: 19.8 per 100,000 boys1935-1939: 18.6 per 100,000 boys1940-1944: 14.4 per 100,000 boys19401945-1949: 10.4 per 100,000 boys1950-1954: 8.1 per 100,000 boys1955-1959: 5.8 per 100,000 boys1960-1964: 5.4 per 100,000 boys19601965-1969: 4.3 per 100,000 boys1970-1974: 3.1 per 100,000 boys1975-1979: 5 per 100,000 boys1980-1984: 16.6 per 100,000 boys19801985-1989: 82.1 per 100,000 boys1990-1994: 263.4 per 100,000 boys1995-1999: 600.4 per 100,000 boys2000-2004: 1,045.6 per 100,000 boys20002005-2009: 970.4 per 100,000 boys2010-2014: 1,263.1 per 100,000 boys2015-2019: 1,298.8 per 100,000 boys2020-2024: 1,245 per 100,000 boys20202025: 1,186 per 100,000 boys20252015-2019: about 1 in 77 boys
Show the numbers
YearsPer 100,000 boys
1925–192925.3
1930–193419.8
1935–193918.6
1940–194414.4
1945–194910.4
1950–19548.1
1955–19595.8
1960–19645.4
1965–19694.3
1970–19743.1
1975–19795
1980–198416.6
1985–198982.1
1990–1994263.4
1995–1999600.4
2000–20041,045.6
2005–2009970.4
2010–20141,263.1
2015–20191,298.8
2020–20241,245
20251,186

Source: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0). Dark bar: the period holding the median birth year.

Brothers and middle names for Leo

Brother names

Names that rose and fell with Leo, from the same generation, with no clashing sounds.

  1. 1 in 197, England and Wales

  2. 1 in 103, England and Wales

  3. 1 in 62, Poland

  4. 1 in 86, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 76, Ireland

  6. 1 in 192, England and Wales

  7. 1 in 124, Ireland

  8. 1 in 50, Ireland

  9. 1 in 67, England and Wales

  10. 1 in 85, England and Wales

All 40 brother names for Leo

Middle names

Scored for rhythm against Leo's 2 syllables and for long, steady use.

  1. 1 in 50, Ireland

  2. 1 in 61, Northern Ireland

  3. 1 in 103, England and Wales

  4. 1 in 62, Poland

  5. 1 in 86, England and Wales

  6. 1 in 88, England and Wales

  7. 1 in 137, Scotland

  8. 1 in 224, Northern Ireland

Full-name check

Leo Jack

Syllables 2-1Initials L.J.No sound clashes between the parts.

All 40 middle names for Leo

Sisters for Leo: Olivia, Maya, Anna, and 5 more
  1. OliviaRose and fell with Leo · Same generation as Leo
  2. MayaRose and fell with Leo · Same generation as Leo
  3. AnnaRose and fell with Leo · Same generation as Leo
  4. EvaRose and fell with Leo · Same generation as Leo
  5. LunaRose and fell with Leo · Same generation as Leo · Same initial as Leo
  6. EmiliaRose and fell with Leo · Latin, like Leo
  7. LucyRose and fell with Leo · Same generation as Leo · Same initial as Leo
  8. AmeliaRose and fell with Leo · Same generation as Leo

Girls' names from the same engine, over the girls' lists of the same publishers.

Moved with Leo

The boy names whose popularity rose and fell most like Leo's across every region and decade we hold.

  1. Common across France, the UK, Italy, and 25 more places.

  2. Common across the UK, the Netherlands, three Nordic countries, and 17 more places.

  3. Common in France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and 14 more places.

  4. Common across France, the UK, three Nordic countries, and 11 more places.

  5. Common across three Nordic countries, Quebec, Ireland, and 9 more places.

  6. Common across the UK, Italy, Poland, and 19 more places.

  7. Common across France, the UK, three Canadian provinces, and 8 more places.

  8. Common in England and Wales, Italy, Poland, and 17 more places.

Famous people named Leo

Leo XIII, Leo I, and 6 more
  • Leo XIII 1810 to 1903

    Pope of the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903

  • Leo I 390 to 461

    Pope from 440 to 461

  • Leo X 1475 to 1521

    Pope from 1513 to 1521

  • Leo XII 1760 to 1829

    Pope of the Catholic Church from 1823 to 1829

  • Leo III 750 to 816

    Pope of the Catholic Church from 795 to 816

  • Leo XI 1535 to 1605

    Pope of the Catholic Church in April 1605

  • Leo IV 790 to 855

    Pope of the Catholic Church

  • Leo II 611 to 683

    Pope

From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions have an article on them. People: Wikidata (CC0). Links go to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists, else English.

Questions about Leo

How popular is Leo in England and Wales?

Leo ranked #3 in England and Wales in 2025, given to 3,278 boys, about 1 in 83.

Is Leo rising in popularity?

In some places: it is rising in more of them than it is falling. Rising in 7 of the 31 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 1. Rising in: Ireland, Poland, Cologne, Netherlands, Bonn, and 2 other regions.

What does Leo mean?

Leo means “lion”, according to Wiktionary.

How many syllables does Leo have?

Leo has 2 syllables: LEE-oh.

Every rank and count on this page comes from an official birth register. How these figures are computed.

Meanings, origins and people: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikidata (CC0).

The 42 birth registers behind these figures

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Kept names collect here.

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