Leo Name Meaning & Origin
Leo
Origin of the name Leo:
A Late Latin name derived from leo (a lion). Leo is also used as a short form of any of the names using it as a beginning element.
From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman.
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US Popularity of Leo Over Time

Sister & Brother Names
Know a Leo? What are his siblings named?
Name Lists Featuring Leo
- Swedish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Sweden 2014
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (New South Wales) 2014
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (Victoria) 2014
- New Zealand Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in New Zealand 2014
- Belgian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Belgium (Flanders) 2014
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in the Republic of Ireland 2014
- Finnish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Finland 2014
- English and Welsh Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in England and Wales (2013)
- Spanish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Spain 2014
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Northern Ireland 2014
- Canadian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Canada (Quebec) 2014
- German Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Germany 2014
- Swiss Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Switzerland (German)
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (New South Wales), 2010
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (Victoria), 2010
- New Zealand Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in New Zealand, 2010
- Austrian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Austria, 2010
- Finnish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Finland, 2010
- French Boys Names: Most Popular Boys Names in France, 2010
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Ireland, 2010
- Scottish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Scotland, 2011
- Spanish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Spain, 2010
- Swedish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Sweden, 2010
- Swiss Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Switzerland (French), 2010
- Canadian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Canada (Quebec), 2010
- English and Welsh Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in England and Wales
- Canadian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Canada (Quebec) for 2012
- English Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in England
- Welsh Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Wales
- Scottish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Scotland for 2012
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Northern Ireland for 2012
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in the Republic of Ireland for 2012
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (New South Wales) for 2012
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (Victoria) for 2012
- New Zealand Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in New Zealand for 2012
- Swedish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Sweden for 2012
- Finnish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Finland for 2012
- French Boys Names: Most Popular Boys Names in France 2012
- Spanish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Spain 2012
- Austrian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Austria 2012
- French Boys Names: Most Popular Boys Names in France
- Scottish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Scotland
- Spanish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Spain
- German Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Germany
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in the Republic of Ireland
- Catalonian Boys Names: Most Popular Boys Names in Catalonia
- Swedish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Sweden
- Finnish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Finland
- Canadian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Canada (Quebec)
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (New South Wales)
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (Victoria)
- New Zealand Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in New Zealand
- Swiss Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Switzerland
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (Western)
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (Southern)
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (Queensland)
- English Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in England
Contribute your knowledge to the name Leo
- Comments and insights on the name Leo
I love this name! I'd like to use it for my baby some day!
My husband's name is Leo. He loves it. He does get "so are you a Leo?" a lot. But it is a strong name and easy to pronounce in many languages.
Ole and Leo are anagrams of each other; they share the same letters.
- Personal experiences with the name Leo
I was sitting with a bunch of girls at work and we were discussing baby names, and somebody said "Can you imagine a little baby named Leo?" and everybody laughed and said no, they could not, Leo was a grandpa name.
- Nicknames for Leo
No nickname needed! (It only has three letters)
But can be a nickname for Leonard, Leonardo, etc.- Meanings and history of the name Leo
Leo comes from the Latin word for lion.
So that's where Leo the Lion comes from?
- Famous real-life people named Leo
Leo Baekeland, Belgian chemist whose inventions ushered in the Age of Plastics
Leo Burnett, American advertising executive (created Tony the Tiger, the Pillsbury Doughboy, and many ad icons)
Leo Szilard, Hungarian-American physicist who conceived the nuclear chain reaction and worked on the Manhattan Project
Leo Tolstoy, Russian novelist (War and Peace)
Happy Fathers Day Images
Leo Lionni, children's book author and illustrator (Frederick, Swimmy, etc)
Thirteen Roman Catholic popes have borne the name Leo including St. Leo the Great.
Leo G. Carroll, English born actor well known for his roles in numerous Hitchcock films
Leonardo "Leo" DiCaprio the actor "Titanic"
Leo Ryan, U.S. Congressman killed at Jonestown, Guyana trying to rescue victims of Jim Jones
Leo Kipling Boyer (b. 2007), son of American actress Kim Raver
Leo Benjamin Gordon (b. 2010), son of American former professional stock car racing driver Jeff Gordon
Leo Encinas Cruz (b. 2011), son of Spanish actress and model Penélope Cruz and Spanish actor Javier Bardem
Leo Grey McElhenney (b. 2012), son of American actress, model, and comedian Kaitlin Olson and American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Rob McElhenney
Leo James Routh (b. 2012), son of American actress Courtney Ford and American actor Brandon Routh
Leo Jung, South Korean main vocalist of South Korean pop boy group VIXX- Leo in song, story & screen
Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus in Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series.
Leo McGarry, chief of staff/vice presidential candidate in the television series The West Wing.
Leo Bloom, accountant in The Producers of screen and stage
Leo Dooley, Disney's Lab Rats
Leonardo (nickname: Leo), main character in the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" series