boy's name
Leonard
LEN-erd
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 322,963
the United States
#637
2025 births
Leonard is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "lion-strong," and its saint is the patron of prisoners and of women in labor. It ranks 116th in France and 250th in England and Wales, and it is reviving.
- Leonard is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in 1921, when 5,675 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 7,569 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Leonard over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,144 |
| 1890s | 3,173 |
| 1900s | 5,040 |
| 1910s | 32,025 |
| 1920s | 54,111 |
| 1930s | 39,421 |
| 1940s | 44,441 |
| 1950s | 43,730 |
| 1960s | 28,606 |
| 1970s | 15,933 |
| 1980s | 10,558 |
| 1990s | 6,267 |
| 2000s | 3,918 |
| 2010s | 3,933 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,446 |
What Leonard means
Leonard means lion-strong, or brave as a lion. The compound joins the Latin leo, a lion, with the Germanic hard, meaning hardy or brave, so the two halves come from different languages — a common pattern in names formed after the Frankish conversion.
Where Leonard comes from
Leonard comes from the Germanic Leonhard, combining leo, lion, taken from Latin, with hard, brave or strong. Its saint is Leonard of Noblac, a sixth-century Frankish nobleman who by tradition converted under Remigius, refused a bishopric, and was granted by Clovis the right to free any prisoner he visited — which made him the patron saint of prisoners and of women in labor, both understood as forms of captivity. His cult spread widely enough that Leonard became common across Europe. The name reached England with the Normans. Its recent English-language associations run through Leonard Cohen and Leonard Bernstein, and the short form Leo has become far more popular than the full name in every market we hold.
Leonard in use
Leonard ranks 116th in France with about 535 births in 2025 and 250th in England and Wales, and our records mark it reviving from a peak in 1921 — the vintage-name pattern rather than a new arrival. It holds 637th in the United States. Our records carry it from 1880. Léonard with an accent appears separately in French records, which splits the French total.
How popular is Leonard?
In 2025, Leonard was given to 438 babies in the United States, ranking #637 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Leonard 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 Leonard is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Léonard | Léonard is Leonard written with an acute accent in France, and the spelling parents there overwhelmingly choose: it ranks #116 in France, against #1,411 for Leonard. | 6,765 |
Names that peaked alongside Leonard
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Leonard also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Leonard over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
4 nicknames for Leonard
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.
Leonard 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 Leonard
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Leonard — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Leonard
What does the name Leonard mean?
Leonard means "lion-strong," from the Latin leo and the Germanic hard, brave.
Who was Saint Leonard?
A sixth-century Frankish nobleman granted the right to free prisoners he visited, making him their patron saint.
Is Leo short for Leonard?
It serves as one, though Leo is also an independent name from the Latin for lion.
How popular is Leonard?
116th in France and 250th in England and Wales.
Is Leonard a girl's or a boy's name?
Leonard is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Leonard?
Leonard has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Leonard?
Leonard is usually shortened to Leo, Len, Leon and Lenny.
Is Leonard a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Leonard currently ranks #116 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s 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.