Leo

Boy name

Leo has been given to 262,124 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 2022 and currently ranks #19 for boys (2025).

Meaning & origin /ˈliːəʊ/

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.

Origin: Latin

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

262,124

Peak year

2022 (8,325 babies)

Rank in 2025

#19 for boys

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▲ +78%

Gender split

1% girls / 99% boys

Famous people named Leo

Lionel Messi

Argentine association football player (born 1987)

Leo XIII

Pope of the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903 (1810–1903)

Leo I

Pope from 440 to 461 (390–461)

Leo X

Pope from 1513 to 1521 (1475-1521)

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Leo.

268,291 babies since 1880

270,680 babies since 1880

250,969 babies since 1880

246,320 babies since 1880

224,639 babies since 1880

218,463 babies since 1881

216,440 babies since 1880

209,814 babies since 1880

Get new name insights first

Occasional updates when we add new data & tools. No spam, unsubscribe anytime by replying to any email or writing to hello@zalize.com.

By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. We store only your email address and the date you signed up.