Nameling

Leo

Gender
Boy
Say it
LEE-oh
Origin
Latin
UK rank, 2025
#4 for boys
US rank, 2025
#19 for boys

Classic

Leo is a boys' name of Latin origin, meaning “lion”. In 2025 it ranked 4th for boys in the UK (3,629 babies) and 19th for boys in the US (8,173 babies).

What does Leo mean?

Latin: Latin word name

“lion”

Fourteen popes have taken the name Leo, beginning with Leo the Great in the 5th century.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Leo a girl's or a boy's name?

Leo is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 4 girls and 3,629 boys in the UK and 23 girls and 8,173 boys in the US.

How popular is Leo in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#4among boys
Babies in 2025
3,629about 1 in 83 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 6% in five years
Same name in a class
16%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 3,629 boys in the UK were named Leo, making it the 4th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 6th. Its busiest year was 2017, with 4,193 boys. 4 girls were also named Leo in 2025 (4,935th for girls).

It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Leo than any year since 2013.

Half of all the boys named Leo in the UK since 1996 were born between 2011 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.

Among boys in 2025, it was 3rd in England and Wales, 7th in Scotland and 5th in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 2004 (#57), 2014 (#16) and 2024 (#5).

1996Busiest: 4,193 in 20172025
Leo in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
20253,629#4
20243,678#4
20233,823#4
20224,026#4
20213,871#5
20203,695#6
20194,029#7
20184,158#6
20174,193#7
20163,985#13
20153,829#14
20143,740#14
20133,585#17
20123,387#20
20112,918#28
20102,292#38
20092,177#40
20082,030#43
20071,844#49
20062,197#36
20051,866#40
20041,221#62
2003838#82
2002650#95
2001542#107
2000287#149
1999228#169
1998215#177
1997162#225
1996156#223

How popular is Leo in the US?

Rank in 2025
#19among boys
Babies in 2025
8,173about 1 in 210 boys
Five-year trend
Steadyup 12% in five years
Same name in a class
6.5%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 8,173 boys in the US were named Leo, making it the 19th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 36th. Its busiest year was 2022, with 8,293 boys. 23 girls were also named Leo in 2025 (5,409th for girls).

Half of all the boys named Leo in the US since 1880 were born between 1926 and 2017, the years shaded on the chart below.

1880Busiest: 8,293 in 20222025
Leo in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
20258,173#19
20247,823#24
20238,160#18
20228,293#22
20217,803#31
20207,229#36
20197,504#40
20186,773#50
20175,965#62
20165,299#74
20154,603#91
20143,976#97
20133,511#112
20122,879#134
20112,250#167
20101,946#191
20091,802#210
20081,628#228
20071,531#238
20061,501#235
20051,275#258
20041,239#265
20031,095#285
2002809#338
2001736#360
2000658#388
1999524#440
1998527#434
1997458#471
1996447#482
1995446#485
1994474#462
1993456#463
1992469#462
1991506#441
1990431#476
1989428#454
1988451#426
1987452#410
1986415#422
1985447#404
1984430#396
1983429#387
1982483#366
1981533#341
1980473#367
1979484#362
1978478#352
1977484#358
1976481#348
1975516#336
1974511#340
1973509#335
1972550#326
1971651#302
1970701#294
1969741#273
1968695#279
1967767#261
1966856#244
1965902#247
19641,028#233
19631,016#237
19621,100#232
19611,178#230
19601,204#230
19591,432#202
19581,428#195
19571,511#190
19561,550#184
19551,576#175
19541,613#172
19531,656#162
19521,558#171
19511,658#156
19501,554#160
19491,646#153
19481,718#151
19471,805#147
19461,647#147
19451,582#137
19441,592#132
19431,694#133
19421,800#120
19411,726#116
19401,752#112
19391,842#108
19381,952#104
19372,015#97
19362,017#94
19352,142#92
19342,309#86
19332,352#75
19322,500#74
19312,700#69
19303,035#63
19293,018#60
19283,095#61
19273,536#55
19263,552#54
19253,775#54
19243,990#51
19233,973#49
19223,901#51
19214,066#50
19204,054#48
19193,802#49
19184,036#48
19173,779#47
19163,621#47
19153,527#47
19142,655#47
19132,031#48
19121,654#49
1911844#51
1910707#51
1909609#49
1908584#49
1907651#42
1906508#47
1905512#46
1904552#42
1903636#37
1902551#43
1901456#42
1900570#46
1899482#43
1898588#39
1897462#46
1896497#47
1895509#41
1894515#41
1893448#45
1892444#49
1891353#51
1890393#49
1889325#59
1888353#57
1887232#73
1886240#73
1885199#83
1884192#84
1883142#95
1882146#99
1881122#103
1880147#92

Names like Leo

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Theo Oliver Archie Louie Theodore Arthur Henry Charlie Felix Oscar Reuben Noah

Other spellings of Leo

Lio

Names related to Leo

Le

More Latin names

Olivia Roman Aurora Emily Florence Mabel Luna Nora Rosie Emilia Max Nova Lucy Julian Clara Anthony

Every Latin name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Leo: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/leo, updated 20 October 2026.