Leon
How to say it: lee-AHN · /liˈɑn/
From Greek 'leon' and Latin 'leo' meaning 'lion'; used throughout Europe since antiquity.
Leon was the 154th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 2,583 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1920s, its births are up 2.3-fold in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #108 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #154 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 2,583 |
| Share of births | 1 in 1,283 |
| Peak decade | 1920s |
| Change over 10 years | ×2.3 |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #108 |
| In France, 2025 | #10 among boys’ names, 2,890 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Back from near disappearance around the 2000s, Leon revived after an early high in the 1920s. It is still well below that early high but ought to gain ground.
What goes with it
Mellow liquid sounds give Leon a strong presence that travels well. Hugo and Felix share its style.
Middle names that flow with Leon →
Nicknames
- Lee
- Leo
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Leon is about 1 in 54.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Welsh.
In France: #10 for boys in 2025.
England and Wales: #101. Ireland: #73.
Famous people named Leon
- Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472)Italian architect and writer
- Leon Goretzka (born 1995)German association football player
- Leon M. Lederman (1922–2018)American mathematician and physicist
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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