Every Boy Name

Boy's name

Leon

Say it LEE-on 2 syllables

Latin · “lion”

Loved in France, Poland, Austria, and 8 more places. Common across three Nordic countries, Quebec, Ireland, and 9 more places. Rare in England and Wales, Italy, Israel, and 4 more places.

1 in 25 boys born in Poland in 2025. Number 3 there.

Leon in every place

Rank, count and share in all 40 places: loved in 11, common in 14, rare in 7.
Leon in every place we hold figures for
Place Rankyear Boysshare 5 years earlier
British Isles
England and Wales101 (down)20255261 in 517932020
Scotland97 (down)2025551 in 357742020
Northern Ireland185 (down)2025111 in 7531032020
Ireland73 (up)2025811 in 293752020
North America
Ontario (province)122 (up)2024107about 1 in 5602182019
Quebec (province)40 (up)2025142about 1 in 205692020
British Columbia (province)62 (up)202346about 1 in 2831162018
Nova Scotia (province)Not in the published top 212025Not listed2020
Oceania
New South Wales (state)53 (up)2025139872020
Victoria (state)57 (up)2025119672020
Queensland (state)72 (new in the list)202581Not listed2020
South Australia (state)Not in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
New Zealand68 (new in the list)202555Not listed2020
Western Europe
France (as Léon)8 (up)20252,8901 in 105222020
Netherlands117 (up)2025156about 1 in 4261192020
Central Europe
Austria820255051 in 7582020
Switzerland10 (down)20253041 in 11842020
Berlin (city)42023177about 1 in 8842018
Munich (city)4202576about 1 in 5842020
Cologne (city)3 (up)202370about 1 in 91102018
Bonn (city)6 (down)202534about 1 in 9342020
Leipzig (city)9 (up)202527about 1 in 107152020
Rostock (city)10 (up)202510about 1 in 105392020
Nordic countries
Norway46 (down)20251471 in 158272020
Sweden17 (down)2025446about 1 in 97122020
DenmarkNot in the published top 502025Not listed2020
Finland252025133No list2020
IcelandNot in the published top 102025No list2020
Southern Europe
SpainNot in the published top 1002024Not listed2019
Catalonia (region) (as León)153 (down)2025281 in 7391212020
Italy109 (up)20242241 in 8451202019
Central and Eastern Europe
Poland3 (up)20255,0791 in 2592020
HungaryNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Slovenia14 (up)2025101about 1 in 72162020
Estonia7 (new in the list)202567Not listed2020
Moscow (city) (published as Леон)29 (new in the list)2025503Not listed2020
Croatia162025266No list2020
Middle East
TurkeyNot in the published top 302025Not listed2020
Israel (published as ליאון)441 (down)202437about 1 in 2,3002922019
Latin America
ArgentinaNot in the published top 202024Not listed2019

Germany publishes no national list; the German rows are city registers. Moscow publishes names in Cyrillic script; the original is shown beside the name. 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

Leon comes ultimately from the word for 'lion', Latin leo and Greek léōn. Sometimes it arrived through other languages, such as French Léon, and sometimes it began as a short form of longer names like Leonard or Leonardo.

2 more paragraphs

It has two syllables, LEE-on, and a strong, clean sound. The accented León and Léon are both in use, and its relatives include Leo, Lionel, Lev and Leonidas.

Leon does best in continental Europe: it ranks near the top in Poland, Estonia and France. In English-speaking lists it is more modest, appearing well down the rankings in Quebec, New South Wales and Victoria. French records show a long history, with its highest point reached only now, and it is rising in more places than it is falling.

Meaning, origin and how to say it

Say it
LEE-on · 2 syllables · Stress on beat 1 of 2.
Meaning
“lion”
Origin
Latin and Greek
Spellings counted
Counted together with Leon here: León, Léon.
Related names
Leo, Leonard, Leonardo, Lionel, Lev, Lion, Lewan, Leão, Leone, Leonidas, Lleó, Leu, Léonide, Léonidas, Lyon, Leonid, Joleon
Where Leon comes from (Wiktionary)

Ultimately from Latin Leo and leo (“lion”), from Ancient Greek Λέων (Léōn) and λέων (léōn, “lion”), likely ultimately from a non-Indo-European language. Sometimes via other related languages such as French Léon and sometimes as a diminutive of related names such as Leonard and Leonardo.

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

Leon over time

Rising in 10 of the 26 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 6. Peak in France: 2025.

Rank in England and Wales, 1996 to 2025

Leon in England and Wales: #105 in 1996, a peak of #60 in 2009, and #101 in 2025.

#1#10#50#100#300200020052010201520202025Top 101996: #105, 474 boys1997: #104, 523 boys1998: #96, 564 boys1999: #87, 599 boys2000: #80, 662 boys2001: #74, 795 boys2002: #73, 790 boys2003: #74, 824 boys2004: #76, 856 boys2005: #75, 914 boys2006: #76, 884 boys2007: #74, 907 boys2008: #62, 1,138 boys2009: #60, 1,155 boys2010: #60, 1,204 boys2011: #62, 1,069 boys2012: #72, 918 boys2013: #75, 837 boys2014: #85, 765 boys2015: #85, 795 boys2016: #92, 737 boys2017: #98, 669 boys2018: #97, 655 boys2019: #93, 662 boys2020: #93, 620 boys2021: #101, 590 boys2022: #95, 584 boys2023: #91, 573 boys2024: #100, 545 boys2025: #101, 526 boys#105 in 1996peak #60, 2009#101in 2025
Show the numbers
YearRankBoys
1996105474
1997104523
199896564
199987599
200080662
200174795
200273790
200374824
200476856
200575914
200676884
200774907
2008621,138
2009601,155
2010601,204
2011621,069
201272918
201375837
201485765
201585795
201692737
201798669
201897655
201993662
202093620
2021101590
202295584
202391573
2024100545
2025101526

Source: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3)

The long view: in France

Half of the boys named Leon in France since 1925 were born in or after 1996. Peak: 2025, about 955 per 100,000 boys. Babies per 100,000 boys, five-year periods.

1925-1929: 644 per 100,000 boys1930-1934: 489.6 per 100,000 boys1935-1939: 346.1 per 100,000 boys1940-1944: 202.2 per 100,000 boys19401945-1949: 111.6 per 100,000 boys1950-1954: 66.7 per 100,000 boys1955-1959: 44.4 per 100,000 boys1960-1964: 27.1 per 100,000 boys19601965-1969: 12.8 per 100,000 boys1970-1974: 7.2 per 100,000 boys1975-1979: 4.2 per 100,000 boys1980-1984: 5.7 per 100,000 boys19801985-1989: 6.1 per 100,000 boys1990-1994: 11.3 per 100,000 boys1995-1999: 33.6 per 100,000 boys2000-2004: 56.1 per 100,000 boys20002005-2009: 90.4 per 100,000 boys2010-2014: 240.1 per 100,000 boys2015-2019: 483.2 per 100,000 boys2020-2024: 706.4 per 100,000 boys20202025: 954.8 per 100,000 boys20252025: about 1 in 105 boys
Show the numbers
YearsPer 100,000 boys
1925–1929644
1930–1934489.6
1935–1939346.1
1940–1944202.2
1945–1949111.6
1950–195466.7
1955–195944.4
1960–196427.1
1965–196912.8
1970–19747.2
1975–19794.2
1980–19845.7
1985–19896.1
1990–199411.3
1995–199933.6
2000–200456.1
2005–200990.4
2010–2014240.1
2015–2019483.2
2020–2024706.4
2025954.8

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 Leon

Brother names

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

  1. 1 in 130, Scotland

  2. 1 in 240, Norway

  3. 1 in 62, Poland

  4. 1 in 69, Austria

  5. 1 in 113, England and Wales

  6. 1 in 192, England and Wales

  7. 1 in 66, Poland

  8. 1 in 424, Ireland

  9. 1 in 83, Austria

  10. 1 in 118, England and Wales

All 40 brother names for Leon

Middle names

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

  1. 1 in 86, England and Wales

  2. 1 in 50, Ireland

  3. 1 in 61, Northern Ireland

  4. 1 in 103, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 130, Scotland

  6. 1 in 62, Poland

  7. 1 in 88, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 137, Scotland

Full-name check

Leon Oliver

Syllables 2-3Initials L.O.No sound clashes between the parts.

All 40 middle names for Leon

Sisters for Leon: Emilia, Anna, Eva, and 5 more
  1. EmiliaRose and fell with Leon · Same generation as Leon
  2. AnnaRose and fell with Leon · As common as Leon
  3. EvaRose and fell with Leon · As common as Leon
  4. JuliaRose and fell with Leon · As common as Leon
  5. ClaraRose and fell with Leon · Latin, like Leon
  6. SaraRose and fell with Leon · Latin, like Leon
  7. MayaRose and fell with Leon · As common as Leon
  8. HelenaRose and fell with Leon · Same generation as Leon

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

Moved with Leon

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

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

  2. Loved across France, the UK, Canada, and 16 more places.

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

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

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

  6. Common in England and Wales, the Netherlands, Austria, and 12 more places.

  7. Common in the Netherlands, Ontario, Austria, and 16 more places.

  8. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 7 more places.

Famous people named Leon

Leon Battista Alberti, Léon Foucault, and 6 more

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 Leon

How popular is Leon in New South Wales?

Leon ranked #53 in New South Wales in 2025, given to 139 boys.

Is Leon rising in popularity?

In some places: it is rising in more of them than it is falling. Rising in 10 of the 26 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 6. Rising in: Ontario, New South Wales, British Columbia, Victoria, Rostock, and 5 other regions.

What does Leon mean?

Leon means “lion”, according to Wiktionary.

How many syllables does Leon have?

Leon has 2 syllables: LEE-on.

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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