Nameling

Leona

Gender
Girl
Say it
lee-OH-na
Origin
Greek
UK rank, 2025
#681 for girls
US rank, 2025
#429 for girls

Leona is a girls' name of Greek origin, meaning “lion”. In 2025 it ranked 681st for girls in the UK (59 babies) and 429th for girls in the US (723 babies).

What does Leona mean?

Greek: feminine form of Leon

“lion”

A feminine form of Leon, from the Greek and Latin words for lion.

More on Wiktionary.

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

Leona is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 59 girls in the UK and 723 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Leona in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#681among girls
Babies in 2025
59about 1 in 4,700 girls
Five-year trend
Steadydown 19% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 59 girls in the UK were named Leona, making it the 681st most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 745th. Its busiest year was 2007, with 340 girls.

2025 had more girls named Leona than any year since 2019.

Half of all the girls named Leona in the UK since 1996 were born between 2004 and 2013, the years shaded on the chart below.

Among girls in 2025, it was 705th in England and Wales and 429th in Scotland.

1996Busiest: 340 in 20072025
Leona in the UK, year by year
YearGirlsRank
202559#681
202441#928
202345#856
202248#806
202157#720
202054#745
201959#718
201867#661
201748#865
201679#585
201565#676
201481#573
201383#552
201294#510
2011115#433
2010144#352
2009162#315
2008253#228
2007340#180
2006171#298
200583#482
200492#431
200390#431
2002107#361
2001107#350
2000106#355
199980#438
199881#429
199794#395
199675#444

How popular is Leona in the US?

Rank in 2025
#429among girls
Babies in 2025
723about 1 in 2,200 girls
Five-year trend
Steadyup 4% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 723 girls in the US were named Leona, making it the 429th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 483rd. Its busiest year was 1918, with 3,335 girls.

It has been given to more girls each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had more girls named Leona than any year since 1949.

Half of all the girls named Leona in the US since 1880 were born between 1915 and 1943, the years shaded on the chart below.

1880Busiest: 3,335 in 19182025
Leona in the US, year by year
YearGirlsRank
2025723#429
2024629#487
2023586#520
2022585#531
2021600#515
2020634#483
2019616#510
2018611#508
2017565#547
2016507#595
2015419#680
2014379#739
2013374#730
2012287#910
2011283#918
2010256#988
2009274#969
2008237#1,097
2007152#1,517
2006144#1,522
2005139#1,500
2004134#1,497
2003104#1,801
2002105#1,730
200190#1,918
2000108#1,630
199990#1,767
199882#1,864
1997101#1,583
199691#1,667
199590#1,636
199474#1,900
199389#1,675
1992100#1,545
1991114#1,403
1990104#1,489
1989142#1,154
1988110#1,313
1987125#1,172
1986129#1,122
1985135#1,077
1984123#1,120
1983128#1,080
1982144#1,019
1981152#964
1980167#902
1979182#854
1978184#811
1977170#862
1976158#861
1975191#748
1974189#749
1973220#679
1972227#661
1971218#698
1970285#609
1969277#596
1968275#579
1967303#540
1966317#529
1965348#508
1964405#480
1963462#449
1962419#472
1961428#471
1960461#455
1959482#439
1958530#401
1957497#418
1956521#393
1955508#387
1954568#363
1953583#343
1952602#336
1951669#302
1950681#298
1949738#283
1948776#276
1947814#268
1946819#245
1945843#227
1944896#221
19431,061#199
19421,055#194
1941998#189
19401,028#183
19391,075#177
19381,164#173
19371,173#173
19361,235#161
19351,308#155
19341,472#139
19331,461#139
19321,670#134
19311,743#133
19301,872#130
19292,020#122
19282,085#122
19272,243#121
19262,429#112
19252,515#108
19242,794#103
19232,744#100
19222,825#101
19213,210#92
19203,166#89
19193,033#90
19183,335#79
19173,115#80
19163,086#75
19152,972#74
19142,174#79
19131,911#74
19121,650#76
19111,329#76
19101,220#79
19091,167#72
19081,118#73
19071,106#72
19061,017#72
19051,082#69
1904998#69
1903881#76
1902875#76
1901779#78
1900825#85
1899665#84
1898665#90
1897619#88
1896556#94
1895520#102
1894471#104
1893463#102
1892440#104
1891352#113
1890332#120
1889348#109
1888311#118
1887208#130
1886227#125
1885231#115
1884210#121
1883178#119
1882163#124
1881138#121
1880137#119

Names like Leona

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

Lydia Georgia Matilda Ella Lola Emma Helena Anna Lucy Eva Iona Ada

Other spellings of Leona

Leonna Leeona

Names related to Leona

Lena Leena Leonie Leana Leoni Lenna Lona Leyna Leone Leina

More Greek names

Luca Theodore Sophia George Theo Lucas Sofia Alexander Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Luke Chloe Sophie Zoe

Every Greek 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, “Leona: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/leona, updated 20 October 2026.