Leonard
Leonard was the 637th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 438 babies. Its best year was 1923, when it ranked 37th; the most babies were born in 1921 (5,650). Over the last ten years it has moved up 14 places. More babies were named Leonard in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning lion-strong (Germanic) · Germanic, French
Say it LEN-erd /ˈlɛnərd/
- Rank in 2025
- #637 boys, down 2 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 438boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19215,650 babies
- Total since 1880
- 295,746babies recorded
What does the name Leonard mean?
Leonard is a Germanic name that DMNES explains as lewo, lion, plus hart, strong or hard: "strong as a lion." Wiktionary adds that the first part may instead be liut, people. It reached English through Old French Leonard, the name of a 6th-century Frankish saint who became the patron of prisoners. Wiktionary notes that as a surname it can also anglicize Irish Ó Leannáin. Leonard has been used in the US since 1880.
lewo (Old High German, “lion”)hart (Old High German, “hard, strong”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary allows 'lion' or 'people' for the first element; DMNES gives 'lion'.
Related names: Leo, Lenny, Leonardo, Léonard.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean strength, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Leonard', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Leonard' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Nicknames for Leonard
The usual nicknames for Leonard are Leo, Lenny and Len. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Leonard in the last five years, 1988 were named Leo, against 257 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leo · also for Leonardo, Leonel, Leonidas | Traditional | #19 | 40,252 |
| Lenny | Traditional | #1,419 | 633 |
| Len · also for Lennox, Lennon | Traditional | #9,377 | 46 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Leonards go by each one.
Leonard popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,412 since 1892.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #637 | 438 |
| 2020 | #635 | 421 |
| 2010 | #626 | 388 |
| 2000 | #508 | 451 |
| 1990 | #293 | 863 |
| 1980 | #193 | 1,277 |
| 1970 | #144 | 2,298 |
| 1960 | #113 | 3,639 |
| 1950 | #77 | 4,581 |
| 1940 | #54 | 3,817 |
| 1930 | #45 | 4,662 |
| 1920 | #38 | 5,511 |
| 1910 | #46 | 793 |
| 1900 | #54 | 465 |
| 1890 | #67 | 275 |
| 1880 | #78 | 200 |
How popular is Leonard, counting every spelling?
Leonard is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #621 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #637 for Leonard on its own. Together these spellings went to 443 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonard | 438 | #637 | 2,025 |
| Lenard | 5 | #13,132 | 35 |
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 Leonard?
438 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Leonard (0.12 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Leonard born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 19 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Leonard.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Leonard?
About 115,600 people born in the US named Leonard are alive today, with a median age of 65; half are between 49 and 75. That makes Leonard a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Leonard by state
How common Leonard was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Minnesota (2.4×), Wisconsin (2.0×), Iowa (1.6×), Illinois (1.5×), Michigan (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Leonard: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Leonard, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Leonard · Sibling names for Leonard
Questions about the name Leonard
What does Leonard mean?
Leonard means “lion-strong (Germanic)” (Germanic, French origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Leonard?
Leonard was the 637th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 438 babies. Its best year was 1923, when it ranked 37th; the most babies were born in 1921 (5,650). Over the last ten years it has moved up 14 places. More babies were named Leonard in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Leonard a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Leonard in the US.
Where is Leonard most popular?
In 2021–2025, Leonard was most common in Minnesota (0.56 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wisconsin and Montana.