girl's name
Leona
lee-OH-nuh (English)
- Origin Latin
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 125,217
the United States
#429
2025 births
Leona means lioness, and it is reviving across six markets — the United States 429th, France 556th, Scotland 631st, Ireland 705th and England and Wales 716th, all within 290 places. It holds 125,217 lifetime births on record.
- Leona is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 1918, when 3,346 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 4,586 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Leona Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,151 |
| 1890s | 5,083 |
| 1900s | 9,879 |
| 1910s | 23,897 |
| 1920s | 26,133 |
| 1930s | 14,243 |
| 1940s | 9,047 |
| 1950s | 5,641 |
| 1960s | 3,695 |
| 1970s | 2,024 |
| 1980s | 1,355 |
| 1990s | 935 |
| 2000s | 1,487 |
| 2010s | 4,297 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,757 |
What Leona Means
Leona means lioness. The Latin leo is the ordinary word for a lion, and the feminine ending makes the sense exact rather than metaphorical. The sense is carried unchanged into the modern name.
Where Leona Comes From
Leona is the feminine of Leo, from the Latin leo, a lion — itself borrowed from Greek and ultimately from a Semitic source, which is how a Mediterranean language ended up with the word for an animal it knew mostly by reputation. Thirteen popes took the name Leo, and Leo I turned Attila back from Rome in 452. The astrological sign, the Sierra Leone coastline and the Spanish city of León all carry the same word. Leona belongs with Leonie, Leonora and Leontine among its feminines.
Leona in Use
Leona peaked in the United States in 1918, when 3,346 babies were registered, and it is reviving. It ranks 429th in the United States on 723 births, 556th in France on 105, 631st in Scotland on 5, 705th in Ireland and 716th in England and Wales on 52, across 125,217 lifetime births in six markets. Five markets inside 290 places is an unusually even spread for a reviving name.
How Popular Is Leona?
In 2025, Leona was given to 723 babies in the United States, ranking #429 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Leona Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Leona Is Spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Léona | Léona is Leona written with an acute accent, used in France, where it ranks #556. | 1,485 |
Names That Peaked Alongside Leona
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Leona Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Leona over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Leona
- English lee-OH-nuh /liˈoʊ.nə/
2 nicknames for Leona
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Leona in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Leona
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Leona — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Leona
What does the name Leona mean?
Lioness — the feminine of the Latin leo, a lion.
Is Leona related to Leo?
Yes, it is the feminine form. So are Leonie, Leonora and Leontine.
Where does the word lion come from?
Latin borrowed it from Greek, which took it from a Semitic source.
Is Leona coming back?
It is reviving, and it charts in six markets.
How popular is the name Leona?
In 2025, Leona was given to 723 babies in the United States, ranking #429 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Is Leona a girl's or a boy's name?
Leona is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Leona?
Leona has 3 syllables.
When was Leona most popular?
Leona peaked in 1918, when 3,346 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
What are the nicknames for Leona?
Leona is usually shortened to Leo and Léa.
Is Leona a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Leona currently ranks #429 in the United States. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.