First Name
200k
in the U.S.
since 1880
Last Name
8k
in the U.S.
in 2010
Girls
Boys
On This Page
  1. Related Names
  2. Pronunciation
  3. Meanings and Origins
  4. Notable Persons Named Leo
  5. Notable Persons With the Last Name Leo
  6. Popularity by Year and Gender
  7. Regional Popularity
  8. Ethnicity Distribution
  9. Fun Facts
  10. What Leos Have Visited This Page?
  11. Name Poster

How to Pronounce Leo

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Meaning and Origin

What does the name Leo mean? Find out below.

Origin and Meaning of Leo

User Submitted Meanings

  • A submission from Kansas, United States says the name Leo means "Lion" and is of Unknown origin.
Other origins: English

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Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
noun ‖Le"o
Senses
  1. The Lion, the fifth sign of the zodiac, marked thus [♌] in almanacs.
  2. A northern constellation east of Cancer, containing the bright star Regulus at the end of the handle of the Sickle.

Etymology: L. See Lion

Other Dictionary Sources
  1. The fifth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about July 23 to August 22
    Synonyms: leo the lion and lion
  2. A zodiacal constellation in northern hemisphere between Cancer and Virgo
  3. (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Leo
    Synonyms: lion
Wiktionary

From Latin leō (“lion”), from Ancient Greek λέων (léōn)

  1. A male given name, borne by numerous saints and 13 popes.
  2. (astronomy): A constellation of the zodiac, shaped approximately like a lion and containing the bright star Regulus.
  3. (astrology): The zodiac sign for the Lion, ruled by the Sun and covering July 23 - August 22 (tropical astrology) or August 16 - September 15 (sidereal astrology).
  4. Someone with a Leo star sign

Leo was also found in the following language(s): Translingual, Danish, Faroese, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Portuguese, Slovak, Spanish, and Swedish

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Notable Persons Named Leo

Leo Tolstoy

His career lasted from 1852 to 1910. Leo was given the name Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy on September 9th, 1828 in Yasnaya Polyana. Leo is also known as Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy. He left this life on November 20th, 1910.

Popularity:
Leo X

Leo X was a pope. Leo was born on December 11th, 1475. He breathed his last breath on December 1st, 1521.

Popularity:
Lee J. Cobb

Lee J. Cobb was an actor. His most notable accomplishments were from 1934 to 1976. Lee was given the name Leo Jacoby on December 8th, 1911 in The Bronx, New York City, U.S. He died on February 11th, 1976.

Popularity:
Leo Sayer

Leo Sayer is a musician. He plays Harmonica. He was most active from 1973 to present. Leo was given the name Gerard Hugh Sayer on May 21st, 1948 in Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, England, UK.

Popularity:
Leo Strauss

Leo Strauss was a philosopher. Leo was born on September 20th, 1899 in Kirchhain. He passed away on October 18th, 1973.

Popularity:
Leo Frank

Leo was given the name Leo Max Frank on April 17th, 1884 in Cuero, Texas. He breathed his last breath on August 17th, 1915.

Popularity:
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Notable Persons With the Last Name Leo

Melissa Leo

Melissa Leo is an actress. She has had major accomplishments since 1984. Melissa was given the name Melissa Chessington Leo on September 14th, 1960 in New York, U.S.

Popularity:
Leo

Leo is a singing, songwriter, actor, and singer. Leo was given the name Jung Taek-woon on November 10th, 1990 in Seoul.

Popularity:
Leonard A. Leo

Leonard A. Leo is a lawyer.

Popularity:
Daniel Leo

Daniel was born on January 16th, 1941.

Popularity:
Ted Leo

Ted Leo is a punk rock, hardcore punk, power pop, and indie rock musician. He has been prominent since 1989. Ted was given the name Theodore Francis Leo on September 11th, 1970 in South Bend, Indiana.

Popularity:
Uncle Leo

Uncle Leo is a fictional character.

Popularity:
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How popular is the baby name Leo in the U.S.?

Click Here to Show Chart Data
Year Total Babies Born Girls Born Boys Born Ranking
1880 153 6 147 #92 boy name
1881 128 6 122
1882 146 0 146 #100 boy name
1883 142 0 142 #95 boy name
1884 198 6 192 #84 boy name
1885 210 11 199 #84 boy name
1886 248 8 240 #73 boy name
1887 238 6 232 #73 boy name
1888 363 10 353 #57 boy name
1889 333 8 325 #59 boy name
1890 405 12 393 #49 boy name
1891 361 8 353 #51 boy name
1892 458 14 444 #49 boy name
1893 467 19 448 #45 boy name
1894 525 10 515 #41 boy name
1895 516 7 509 #41 boy name
1896 519 22 497 #47 boy name
1897 474 12 462 #46 boy name
1898 608 20 588 #39 boy name
1899 492 10 482 #43 boy name
1900 587 17 570 #46 boy name
1901 468 12 456 #42 boy name
1902 565 14 551 #43 boy name
1903 647 11 636 #37 boy name
1904 571 19 552 #42 boy name
1905 526 14 512 #46 boy name
1906 519 11 508 #47 boy name
1907 667 16 651 #42 boy name
1908 606 22 584 #49 boy name
1909 628 19 609 #49 boy name
1910 732 25 707 #51 boy name
1911 862 18 844 #51 boy name
1912 1,671 17 1,654 #49 boy name
1913 2,057 26 2,031 #48 boy name
1914 2,690 35 2,655 #47 boy name
1915 3,575 48 3,527 #47 boy name
1916 3,680 59 3,621 #47 boy name
1917 3,830 51 3,779 #47 boy name
1918 4,098 62 4,036 #48 boy name
1919 3,855 53 3,802 #49 boy name
1920 4,116 62 4,054 #48 boy name
1921 4,116 50 4,066 #50 boy name
1922 3,952 50 3,902 #51 boy name
1923 4,025 51 3,974 #49 boy name
1924 4,037 48 3,989 #51 boy name
1925 3,827 53 3,774 #54 boy name
1926 3,603 52 3,551 #54 boy name
1927 3,594 58 3,536 #55 boy name
1928 3,138 44 3,094 #61 boy name
1929 3,046 28 3,018 #60 boy name
1930 3,079 46 3,033 #63 boy name
1931 2,742 39 2,703 #68 boy name
1932 2,522 22 2,500 #74 boy name
1933 2,373 23 2,350 #75 boy name
1934 2,327 19 2,308 #86 boy name
1935 2,155 13 2,142 #92 boy name
1936 2,032 16 2,016 #94 boy name
1937 2,028 13 2,015 #97 boy name
1938 1,964 14 1,950
1939 1,855 14 1,841
1940 1,767 15 1,752
1941 1,742 15 1,727
1942 1,814 15 1,799
1943 1,704 11 1,693
1944 1,603 10 1,593
1945 1,589 11 1,578
1946 1,659 13 1,646
1947 1,813 8 1,805
1948 1,722 5 1,717
1949 1,656 10 1,646
1950 1,560 6 1,554
1951 1,664 5 1,659
1952 1,563 6 1,557
1953 1,669 13 1,656
1954 1,613 6 1,607
1955 1,585 9 1,576
1956 1,556 9 1,547
1957 1,526 8 1,518
1958 1,430 9 1,421
1959 1,443 11 1,432
1960 1,213 9 1,204
1961 1,177 0 1,177
1962 1,112 9 1,103
1963 1,021 6 1,015
1964 1,035 9 1,026
1965 910 6 904
1966 856 0 856
1967 776 8 768
1968 698 5 693
1969 742 0 742
1970 709 6 703
1971 659 7 652
1972 557 7 550
1973 517 8 509
1974 513 0 513
1975 524 7 517
1976 488 7 481
1977 489 5 484
1978 487 7 480
1979 483 0 483
1980 474 0 474
1981 539 6 533
1982 490 6 484
1983 436 7 429
1984 431 0 431
1985 452 5 447
1986 415 0 415
1987 460 7 453
1988 455 6 449
1989 432 5 427
1990 430 0 430
1991 506 0 506
1992 468 0 468
1993 462 6 456
1994 474 0 474
1995 451 5 446
1996 447 0 447
1997 457 0 457
1998 527 0 527
1999 523 0 523
2000 657 0 657
2001 735 0 735
2002 815 6 809
2003 1,103 8 1,095
2004 1,244 5 1,239
2005 1,279 7 1,272
2006 1,500 0 1,500
2007 1,530 0 1,530
2008 1,630 5 1,625
2009 1,805 6 1,799
2010 1,942 0 1,942
2011 2,253 6 2,247
2012 2,883 8 2,875
2013 3,513 9 3,504
2014 3,979 16 3,963 #97 boy name
2015 4,598 11 4,587 #91 boy name
2016 5,294 13 5,281 #74 boy name
2017 5,940 17 5,923 #61 boy name
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Where is the name Leo popular?

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Popularity of Leo as a first name

The map shows the relative popularity of the name Leo as a first name in each of the states. See other popular names in North Dakota, Rhode Island, or Maine.

Popularity of Leo as a last name

The map shows the absolute popularity of the name Leo as a last name in each of the states. See other popular names in New York, Pennsylvania, or Massachusetts.

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Common last names for Leo

  • Smith
  • Miller
  • Johnson
  • Brown
  • Williams
  • Davis
  • Jones
  • Martin
  • Murphy
  • Sullivan
  • White
  • Anderson
  • Wilson
  • Thomas
  • Kelly
  • Clark
  • Thompson
  • Taylor
  • King
  • Moore

Common first names for Leo

Ethnicity Distribution

Ethnicity Leo U.S.
█  White 75.37% 64.26%
█  African American 4.69% 11.96%
█  Asian, Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander 9.17% 4.85%
█  American Indian and Alaska Native 0.87% 0.69%
█  Two or More Ethnicities 2.21% 1.76%
█  Hispanic or Latino 7.69% 16.26%

Of Last Name Leo

People with the last name Leo are most frequently White

Entire United States

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Fun Facts about the name Leo

  • What name lists does Leo rank for?
    #47Boy Name of the 1910s
    #44Boy Name of the 1900s
    #43Boy Name of the 1890s
    #6Vintage Boy Names
    #11Boy Names Unique to New England
  • How Popular is the name Leo? Leo is the 372nd most popular name of all time. In 2017 Leo was the 61st most popular name. As a last name Leo was the 4,423rd most popular name in 2010.
  • How many people with the first name Leo have been born in the United States? From 1880 to 2017, the Social Security Administration has recorded 200,022 babies born with the first name Leo in the United States. That's more than enough people named Leo to occupy the country of Samoa with an estimated population of 186,340 (as of November 7, 2011).
  • What year were 5 or more babies first named Leo? The name was first given to 5 or more babies in the year 1880 when it was given as a first name to 153 new born babies.
  • When was Leo first recorded in the United States? The oldest recorded birth by the Social Security Administration for the first name Leo is Sunday, June 16th, 1867.
  • What year had the most people named Leo born? The highest recorded use of the first name Leo was in 2017 with a total of 5,923 babies. That's a lot of babies named Leo!
  • Random Leo Factoid: According to the 1930 U.S. Social Security Administration data, the first name Leo ranks 61st in popularity as a baby boy's name in Idaho. Imagine that, 16 babies in Idaho have the same name as you in 1930.
  • Weird things about the name Leo: Your name in reverse order is Oel. A random rearrangement of the letters in your name (anagram) will give Ole. How do you pronounce that?
  • How many people have the last name Leo? In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau surveyed 8,039 people with the last name Leo.
  • How likely are you to meet someone with the last name of Leo? If you manage to meet 100,000 people in your life, chances are that 3 of them will have Leo as their last name.
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What Leos Have Visited This Page?

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Name poster for Leo

Name poster for Leo(click to save the high quality version)

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All Name Lists

  • Sources:
  • U.S. Census Bureau: Frequently Occurring Surnames from the Census 2000 (public domain).
  • U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names, Death Master File (public domain).
  • 1913 Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary via the Collaborative International Dictionary of English (License)
  • Other Dictionary Sources: WordNet 3.1 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University (License).
  • Wiktionary: Titles and License.
  • Notable persons via Wikipedia: Titles and License. Click each image for the attribution information.