Leon is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Leon means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Leon across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Leon has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Leon is a boy name of Greek origin meaning “lion”. related to Leo.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 184,074 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 22,244 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 2,790 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 673 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 3,770 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 1,171 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 Leon per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1924 (2,714/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2010 (1,204/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2008 (188/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2012 (144/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2010 (48/yr).
Leon has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1924, when it ranked #184 nationally (given to 2,714 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1920s.
Lynn · Leona · Lena · Leanne · Leann · Leone · Leanna · Lian
Not sure if it's the one? The best way to know is to see if your partner loves it too. Swipe baby names with your partner and match on the ones you both ❤️, free, no account needed to start.
Find your name together →