Leonidas

Gender: Boy
Say it: lee-ON-i-das
Origin: Greek
UK rank, 2025: #488 for boys
US rank, 2025: #510 for boys

Leonidas is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “son of a lion”. In 2025 it ranked 488th for boys in the UK (88 babies) and 510th for boys in the US (591 babies).

What does Leonidas mean?

Greek: from Greek leon, lion, with a patronymic ending

“son of a lion”

Leonidas I, king of Sparta, led the Greek stand against the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 BC.

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

Leonidas is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 88 boys in the UK and 591 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Leonidas in the UK?

Rank in 2025: 488th among boys
Babies in 2025: 88 about 1 in 3,400 boys
Five-year trend: Steady up 11% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 88 boys in the UK were named Leonidas, making it the 488th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 473rd. Its busiest year was 2021, with 105 boys.

Half of all the boys named Leonidas in the UK since 1996 were born between 2013 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.

Among boys in 2025, it was 452nd in England and Wales and 762nd in Scotland.

1997Busiest: 105 in 20212025

Leonidas in the UK, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	88	#488
2024	87	#508
2023	94	#462
2022	87	#506
2021	105	#448
2020	93	#473
2019	79	#543
2018	71	#581
2017	79	#549
2016	64	#629
2015	65	#615
2014	52	#705
2013	58	#648
2012	50	#732
2011	38	#859
2010	34	#927
2009	41	#782
2008	30	#972
2007	26	#1,031
2006	12	#1,640
2005	5	#2,885
2004	6	#2,399
2003	7	#2,054
2002	5	#2,358
2001	7	#1,833
2000	6	#1,977
1999	3	#3,043
1998	5	#2,170
1997	3	#2,979

How popular is Leonidas in the US?

Rank in 2025: 510th among boys
Babies in 2025: 591 about 1 in 2,900 boys
Five-year trend: Steady much the same
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 591 boys in the US were named Leonidas, making it the 510th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 457th. Its busiest year was 2022, with 760 boys.

It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Leonidas than any year since 2018.

Half of all the boys named Leonidas in the US since 1880 were born between 2012 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.

1880Busiest: 760 in 20222025

Leonidas in the US, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	591	#510
2024	597	#510
2023	638	#476
2022	760	#421
2021	688	#446
2020	649	#457
2019	608	#482
2018	569	#504
2017	582	#498
2016	593	#505
2015	556	#518
2014	494	#559
2013	337	#704
2012	288	#786
2011	234	#886
2010	218	#925
2009	201	#985
2008	241	#877
2007	152	#1,162
2006	19	#4,671
2005	27	#3,524
2004	22	#4,000
2003	28	#3,275
2002	13	#5,388
2001	14	#5,135
2000	16	#4,567
1999	10	#6,036
1998	18	#3,845
1997	12	#4,954
1996	10	#5,528
1995	10	#5,495
1994	10	#5,446
1993	11	#4,995
1992	19	#3,331
1991	17	#3,456
1990	18	#3,303
1989	20	#2,983
1988	11	#4,157
1987	9	#4,567
1986	12	#3,649
1985	18	#2,708
1984	16	#2,823
1983	13	#3,229
1982	18	#2,595
1981	10	#3,856
1980	15	#2,964
1979	23	#2,156
1978	10	#3,613
1977	6	#5,121
1976	17	#2,507
1975	15	#2,635
1974	13	#2,797
1973	10	#3,221
1972	11	#2,989
1971	16	#2,365
1970	13	#2,620
1969	9	#3,061
1968	11	#2,575
1967	14	#2,138
1966	17	#1,890
1965	6	#3,535
1964	15	#2,113
1963	10	#2,672
1962	11	#2,502
1961	14	#2,241
1960	5	#4,036
1959	10	#2,662
1958	10	#2,640
1957	11	#2,492
1956	6	#3,533
1955	9	#2,763
1954	10	#2,591
1953	11	#2,390
1952	0	–
1951	7	#3,064
1950	9	#2,579
1949	6	#3,296
1948	8	#2,787
1947	9	#2,670
1946	7	#2,918
1945	6	#2,995
1944	8	#2,632
1943	9	#2,562
1942	0	–
1941	7	#2,871
1940	11	#2,179
1939	9	#2,449
1938	10	#2,326
1937	15	#1,828
1936	13	#1,964
1935	8	#2,719
1934	8	#2,742
1933	10	#2,367
1932	12	#2,191
1931	11	#2,327
1930	12	#2,292
1929	12	#2,316
1928	19	#1,760
1927	15	#2,121
1926	14	#2,186
1925	19	#1,805
1924	21	#1,727
1923	19	#1,815
1922	18	#1,883
1921	15	#2,151
1920	28	#1,382
1919	21	#1,623
1918	18	#1,826
1917	24	#1,437
1916	19	#1,645
1915	15	#1,877
1914	12	#1,867
1913	13	#1,496
1912	0	–
1911	6	#1,536
1910	0	–
1909	0	–
1908	0	–
1907	0	–
1906	0	–
1905	0	–
1904	0	–
1903	0	–
1902	0	–
1901	5	#1,057
1900	0	–
1899	0	–
1898	7	#884
1897	0	–
1896	0	–
1895	5	#1,078
1894	0	–
1893	6	#906
1892	8	#791
1891	0	–
1890	0	–
1889	0	–
1888	0	–
1887	6	#819
1886	0	–
1885	5	#935
1884	0	–
1883	0	–
1882	6	#836
1881	0	–
1880	5	#909

Nicknames for Leonidas

Leo 3,629 boys in the UK in 2025

Names like Leonidas

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

Lucas, Atlas, Sebastian, Theo, Luca, Elias, Tobias, Hudson, Levi, Enzo, Ezekiel, Matteo

Names related to Leonidas

Leonides, Leonidus

More Greek names

Theodore, Sophia, George, Sofia, Alexander, Penelope, Phoebe, Margot, Luke, Chloe, Sophie, Zoe, Iris, Maisie, Lainey, Elena

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, “Leonidas: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/leonidas, updated 20 October 2026.