Leo is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Leo means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Leo across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Leo has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Leo is a boy name of Latin origin meaning “lion”. borne by several popes and saints.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 262,124 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 63,069 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 4,969 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 1,733 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 4,143 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 3,251 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Leo per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 2022 (8,325/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2017 (3,781/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2022 (310/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2025 (261/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2018 (137/yr).
Leo has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 2022, when it ranked #34 nationally (given to 12,576 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 2020s.
Leah · Lee · Lou · Lia · Leia · Lea · Lu · Lue
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