Lionel

Boy name

Lionel has been given to 33,833 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 2023 and currently ranks #659 for boys (2025).

Meaning & origin /ˈlaɪənl/

A Middle English diminutive of French Léon, Latin Leo (“lion”), or of the Middle English nickname Lion + -el (diminutive suffix).

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

33,833

Peak year

2023 (609 babies)

Rank in 2025

#659 for boys

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▲ +3%

Gender split

0% girls / 100% boys

Famous people named Lionel

Lionel Messi

Argentine association football player (born 1987)

Lionel Richie

American singer, songwriter and actor

Lionel Jospin

93rd Prime Minister of France (1997–2002)

Lionel Barrymore

American actor, director, screenwriter (1878–1954)

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

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

Karterboy

34,052 babies since 1985

Remingtonunisex

34,095 babies since 1955

Matteoboy

33,499 babies since 1911

Louieboy

33,338 babies since 1880

Barrettboy

34,417 babies since 1886

Quincyboy

33,207 babies since 1880

Winstonboy

32,956 babies since 1880

Adrielboy

34,751 babies since 1952

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.