ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 1891 First Year 2022 Last Year 1920 Peak Year #1171 Peak Rank 1K Total Count 97 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Leon What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Leon is a first name of Greek origin, meaning "lion". It gave rise to similar names in other languages, including the Latin Leo, French Lyon or Léon, Irish Leon, Spanish León, Armenian Levon / Լևոն or Georgian Levan / ლევან. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon%5F%28given%5Fname%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon%5F%28given%5Fname%29) ### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name) * English * German * Dutch * Polish * Slovene * Croatian * Greek * Ancient Greek * French * Spanish [![Wikipedia thumbnail for Leon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a2/Leon_%C5%A0tukelj_1958.jpg/330px-Leon_%C5%A0tukelj_1958.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon%5F%28given%5Fname%29) 📖 ## The Story of Leon The earliest SSA record of Leon as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 118 babies received it. 2026 was its biggest year on record, with 2,707 newborns named Leon — #131 in the national rankings. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #131 among baby boy names with 2,707 births, rising sharply (+40% over the past five years). In total, more than 185K Leons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time ## Popularity by State ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🔗 ## Variants & Related Forms of Leon Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Leon. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * Leontios ⭐ ## Notable people named Leon A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia. * ●Leon (mathematician) (fl. 400 BC), Greek mathematician, precursor of Euclid * ●Leon of Modena (1571–1648), Venetian scholar * ●Leon of Pella , Macedonian historian * ●Leon of Phlius (fl. c. 620 BC), tyrant of his city * ●Leon of Salamis (died 406 or 403 BC), Athenian politician and naval commander * ●Leon of Sparta , Spartan king * ●León Aillaud (1880–1936), Mexican politician * ●Leon Ashley (1936–2013), American country music singer and songwriter Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon%5F%28given%5Fname%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon%5F%28given%5Fname%29) 🎶 ## Names that sound like Leon Phonetically similar names — useful when Leon is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Leone](/leone) * [Leann](/leann) * [Lianne](/lianne) * [Leeann](/leeann) * [Liane](/liane) * [Leeanne](/leeanne) * [Luan](/luan) * [Lian](/lian) * [Lean](/lean) * [Liam](/liam) * [Leen](/leen) * [Leanne](/leanne) Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Leon What does the name Leon mean? Leon is a first name of Greek origin, meaning "lion". It gave rise to similar names in other languages, including the Latin Leo, French Lyon or Léon, Irish Leon, Spanish León, Armenian Levon / Լևոն or Georgian Levan / ლევან. What is the origin of the name Leon? Leon has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, German, Dutch, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Greek, Ancient Greek, French, Spanish. How popular is Leon in 2026? In 2026, Leon ranks #131 among boys' names in the U.S., with 2,707 babies given the name that year. When was Leon most popular? Leon reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #73 that year with 2,707 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Leon most popular? Leon has historically been most popular in Louisiana, Delaware, Arkansas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Leon. Is Leon a unisex name? In U.S. Social Security records, Leon is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name. What names go well with Leon? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Leon include Brent, Dillon, August. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. What are nicknames or variants of Leon? Common variants and related forms of Leon include Leontios. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms. ## Similar Names [👧DiciePeak #1171](/dicie)[👧EdnahPeak #1171](/ednah)[👧AmadaPeak #1171](/amada)[👧SeraphinePeak #1171](/seraphine)[👧SillerPeak #1171](/siller)[👧MainePeak #1171](/maine)[👧EdraPeak #1171](/edra)[👧ArchiePeak #1172](/archie) ## About the name Leon Leon is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 185K births in the dataset. Leon's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #73\. Use the chart and map above to compare Leon's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) * [ Names of the 2020s → ](/decade/2020s) * [ Names starting with "L" → ](/letter/l) * [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships. * Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.