boy's name
Leonidas
lee-uh-NY-dus (English)
- Origin Greek
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 4
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 12,482
the United States
#510
2025 births
Leonidas is a boy's name of Greek origin meaning "son of the lion." It joins Greek leon, "lion," with the family suffix -ides, and it's famous from Leonidas I, the Spartan king who fell defending the pass at Thermopylae in 480 BC.
- Leonidas is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in 2022, when 760 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,610 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 4 syllables, with the stress on syllable 3.
Leonidas 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 | 22 |
| 1890s | 26 |
| 1900s | 5 |
| 1910s | 128 |
| 1920s | 180 |
| 1930s | 108 |
| 1940s | 71 |
| 1950s | 83 |
| 1960s | 112 |
| 1970s | 134 |
| 1980s | 142 |
| 1990s | 135 |
| 2000s | 733 |
| 2010s | 4,479 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,923 |
What Leonidas Means
Leonidas means son of a lion, or lion-like. The name carries courage and self-sacrifice through its Spartan namesake, and it's a heroic-sounding choice for parents.
Where Leonidas Comes From
Greek leon, a lion, was the source of Leon and Leo, and adding the patronymic -ides gave Leonidas, a name of the lion's line. Leonidas I of Sparta made it immortal when he and a small force, including his 300 Spartans, held off the Persian army at Thermopylae. Herodotus told the story, and classical education kept it alive. Early Christians used the name too: a Leonidas was the martyred father of the theologian Origen. It survives in Greece and throughout Latin America, where Leónidas is a recognized form. The Bump's link to German Leonard is a similarity only.
Leonidas in Use
The 2006 film 300, with Gerard Butler as Leonidas, brought it to wide attention among parents. Leo is the obvious everyday form.
How Popular Is Leonidas?
In 2025, Leonidas was given to 591 babies in the United States, ranking #510 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Leonidas 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 Leonidas Is Spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Léonidas | Léonidas is a rare spelling of Leonidas, written with an acute accent and recorded about 95 times, mostly in France. | 95 |
Names That Peaked Alongside Leonidas
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Leonidas Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Leonidas over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Leonidas
- English lee-uh-NY-dus
2 nicknames for Leonidas
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.
Leonidas 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 Leonidas
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Leonidas — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Leonidas
What does the name Leonidas mean?
Son of the lion, from Greek leon and -ides.
Who was Leonidas?
The Spartan king who died at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.
What is a nickname for Leonidas?
Leo is the most common.
How popular is the name Leonidas?
In 2025, Leonidas was given to 591 babies in the United States, ranking #510 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Is Leonidas a girl's or a boy's name?
Leonidas is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Leonidas?
Leonidas has 4 syllables.
When was Leonidas most popular?
Leonidas peaked in 2022, when 760 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Leonidas a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Leonidas currently ranks #457 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.