Leo
Leo was the 19th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 8,173 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 18th; the most babies were born in 2022 (8,293). Over the last ten years it has moved up 72 places. More babies were named Leo in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning lion · Latin, Ancient Greek
Say it LEE-oh /ˈlioʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #19 boys, up 17 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 8,173boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20228,293 babies
- Total since 1880
- 262,124babies recorded
What does the name Leo mean?
Leo is the Latin word for lion, borrowed from Greek leōn. As a name it was carried by many saints and by 14 popes. DMNES also counts six Byzantine emperors and five Armenian kings, and notes that Jews often used Leo as a translation of the Hebrew name Arye, 'lion'. It is also the name of a zodiac constellation.
leō (Latin, “lion”)λέων (Ancient Greek, “lion”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: Latin names, names that mean an animal.
Leo popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,136 since 1880, 23 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #19 | 8,173 |
| 2020 | #36 | 7,229 |
| 2010 | #191 | 1,946 |
| 2000 | #388 | 658 |
| 1990 | #477 | 431 |
| 1980 | #367 | 473 |
| 1970 | #294 | 701 |
| 1960 | #230 | 1,204 |
| 1950 | #160 | 1,554 |
| 1940 | #112 | 1,752 |
| 1930 | #63 | 3,035 |
| 1920 | #48 | 4,054 |
| 1910 | #51 | 707 |
| 1900 | #46 | 570 |
| 1890 | #49 | 393 |
| 1880 | #93 | 147 |
How popular is Leo, counting every spelling?
Leo is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #26 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #19 for Leo on its own. Together these spellings went to 8,173 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leo | 8,173 | #19 | 40,252 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Leo?
8,173 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Leo (2.27 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Leo born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 24. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, a typical elementary school of 430 pupils would have about 1.0 children named Leo.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Leo?
About 145,000 people born in the US named Leo are alive today, with a median age of 11; half are between 5 and 38. That makes Leo a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Leo by state
How common Leo was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (2.7×), Vermont (2.7×), Hawaii (2.0×), North Dakota (2.0×), South Dakota (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Leo: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Leo, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Leo · Sibling names for Leo
Leo is also a nickname for Leonardo, Leonel, Leonidas, Leandro, Lionel and Leonard.
Questions about the name Leo
What does Leo mean?
Leo means “lion” (Latin, Ancient Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Leo?
Leo was the 19th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 8,173 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 18th; the most babies were born in 2022 (8,293). Over the last ten years it has moved up 72 places. More babies were named Leo in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Leo a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Leo in the US.
Where is Leo most popular?
In 2021–2025, Leo was most common in District of Columbia (12.67 per 1,000 boys), followed by Vermont and Hawaii.