Lionel
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- LY-on-el
- Origin
- Latin
- UK rank, 2025
- #1,257 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #659 for boys
Lionel is a boys' name of Latin origin, meaning “little lion”. In 2025 it ranked 1,257th for boys in the UK (24 babies) and 659th for boys in the US (419 babies).
What does Lionel mean?
Latin: French diminutive of Léon
“little lion”
A French pet form of Léon; Sir Lionel was a Knight of the Round Table and cousin of Lancelot.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Lionel a girl's or a boy's name?
Lionel is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 24 boys in the UK and 419 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Lionel in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,257among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 24about 1 in 12,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 20% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 24 boys in the UK were named Lionel, making it the 1,257th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,206th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 38 boys.
Half of all the boys named Lionel in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,196th in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#86), 1914 (#81) and 1924 (#90).
Lionel in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 24 | #1,257 |
| 2024 | 38 | #899 |
| 2023 | 28 | #1,131 |
| 2022 | 19 | #1,452 |
| 2021 | 15 | #1,686 |
| 2020 | 24 | #1,206 |
| 2019 | 26 | #1,124 |
| 2018 | 25 | #1,173 |
| 2017 | 10 | #2,306 |
| 2016 | 16 | #1,655 |
| 2015 | 28 | #1,090 |
| 2014 | 19 | #1,406 |
| 2013 | 18 | #1,445 |
| 2012 | 17 | #1,542 |
| 2011 | 9 | #2,311 |
| 2010 | 12 | #1,887 |
| 2009 | 14 | #1,674 |
| 2008 | 8 | #2,384 |
| 2007 | 15 | #1,540 |
| 2006 | 11 | #1,742 |
| 2005 | 6 | #2,545 |
| 2004 | 9 | #1,831 |
| 2003 | 7 | #2,054 |
| 2002 | 3 | #3,325 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 5 | #2,237 |
| 1999 | 4 | #2,513 |
| 1998 | 5 | #2,170 |
| 1997 | 4 | #2,438 |
| 1996 | 4 | #2,442 |
How popular is Lionel in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #659among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 419about 1 in 4,100 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 25% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 419 boys in the US were named Lionel, making it the 659th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 659th. Its busiest year was 2023, with 609 boys.
Half of all the boys named Lionel in the US since 1880 were born between 1940 and 1996, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 426 boys in the US were given Lionel or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #622, up from #659 for this spelling alone.
- Lionel 419
- Lionell 7
Lionel in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 419 | #659 |
| 2024 | 529 | #562 |
| 2023 | 609 | #495 |
| 2022 | 450 | #620 |
| 2021 | 410 | #660 |
| 2020 | 398 | #659 |
| 2019 | 428 | #631 |
| 2018 | 418 | #634 |
| 2017 | 458 | #596 |
| 2016 | 475 | #583 |
| 2015 | 405 | #645 |
| 2014 | 388 | #662 |
| 2013 | 317 | #738 |
| 2012 | 275 | #807 |
| 2011 | 282 | #791 |
| 2010 | 228 | #899 |
| 2009 | 173 | #1,074 |
| 2008 | 161 | #1,133 |
| 2007 | 151 | #1,171 |
| 2006 | 137 | #1,224 |
| 2005 | 144 | #1,131 |
| 2004 | 122 | #1,233 |
| 2003 | 128 | #1,166 |
| 2002 | 122 | #1,158 |
| 2001 | 154 | #991 |
| 2000 | 148 | #996 |
| 1999 | 136 | #1,017 |
| 1998 | 157 | #912 |
| 1997 | 121 | #1,049 |
| 1996 | 130 | #972 |
| 1995 | 169 | #821 |
| 1994 | 160 | #844 |
| 1993 | 204 | #726 |
| 1992 | 191 | #744 |
| 1991 | 205 | #704 |
| 1990 | 231 | #663 |
| 1989 | 265 | #600 |
| 1988 | 251 | #584 |
| 1987 | 310 | #508 |
| 1986 | 327 | #484 |
| 1985 | 401 | #428 |
| 1984 | 443 | #387 |
| 1983 | 420 | #395 |
| 1982 | 354 | #455 |
| 1981 | 293 | #487 |
| 1980 | 304 | #483 |
| 1979 | 243 | #548 |
| 1978 | 249 | #521 |
| 1977 | 251 | #528 |
| 1976 | 266 | #486 |
| 1975 | 252 | #503 |
| 1974 | 212 | #553 |
| 1973 | 239 | #505 |
| 1972 | 215 | #542 |
| 1971 | 260 | #504 |
| 1970 | 239 | #522 |
| 1969 | 283 | #455 |
| 1968 | 266 | #466 |
| 1967 | 292 | #441 |
| 1966 | 292 | #449 |
| 1965 | 290 | #455 |
| 1964 | 368 | #421 |
| 1963 | 382 | #412 |
| 1962 | 405 | #402 |
| 1961 | 420 | #389 |
| 1960 | 468 | #364 |
| 1959 | 416 | #388 |
| 1958 | 360 | #412 |
| 1957 | 336 | #424 |
| 1956 | 410 | #364 |
| 1955 | 323 | #406 |
| 1954 | 359 | #371 |
| 1953 | 385 | #353 |
| 1952 | 340 | #365 |
| 1951 | 340 | #369 |
| 1950 | 363 | #354 |
| 1949 | 336 | #370 |
| 1948 | 339 | #368 |
| 1947 | 349 | #370 |
| 1946 | 329 | #360 |
| 1945 | 306 | #345 |
| 1944 | 303 | #343 |
| 1943 | 284 | #364 |
| 1942 | 274 | #366 |
| 1941 | 287 | #341 |
| 1940 | 260 | #352 |
| 1939 | 277 | #332 |
| 1938 | 280 | #333 |
| 1937 | 247 | #345 |
| 1936 | 291 | #314 |
| 1935 | 281 | #325 |
| 1934 | 336 | #295 |
| 1933 | 321 | #295 |
| 1932 | 311 | #310 |
| 1931 | 290 | #321 |
| 1930 | 281 | #330 |
| 1929 | 265 | #344 |
| 1928 | 297 | #326 |
| 1927 | 319 | #322 |
| 1926 | 294 | #338 |
| 1925 | 309 | #327 |
| 1924 | 325 | #322 |
| 1923 | 329 | #319 |
| 1922 | 302 | #338 |
| 1921 | 334 | #318 |
| 1920 | 272 | #362 |
| 1919 | 253 | #362 |
| 1918 | 266 | #356 |
| 1917 | 255 | #350 |
| 1916 | 205 | #385 |
| 1915 | 224 | #359 |
| 1914 | 168 | #365 |
| 1913 | 129 | #367 |
| 1912 | 119 | #346 |
| 1911 | 74 | #314 |
| 1910 | 33 | #480 |
| 1909 | 34 | #428 |
| 1908 | 30 | #438 |
| 1907 | 30 | #417 |
| 1906 | 27 | #424 |
| 1905 | 25 | #430 |
| 1904 | 20 | #482 |
| 1903 | 30 | #353 |
| 1902 | 19 | #490 |
| 1901 | 20 | #422 |
| 1900 | 26 | #446 |
| 1899 | 18 | #438 |
| 1898 | 21 | #435 |
| 1897 | 19 | #438 |
| 1896 | 20 | #438 |
| 1895 | 19 | #456 |
| 1894 | 20 | #419 |
| 1893 | 19 | #419 |
| 1892 | 9 | #747 |
| 1891 | 17 | #427 |
| 1890 | 14 | #511 |
| 1889 | 9 | #673 |
| 1888 | 9 | #704 |
| 1887 | 13 | #488 |
| 1886 | 11 | #578 |
| 1885 | 5 | #935 |
| 1884 | 6 | #848 |
| 1883 | 7 | #720 |
| 1882 | 5 | #942 |
| 1881 | 0 | – |
| 1880 | 8 | #682 |
Names like Lionel
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Leo Vincent Lorenzo Theodore Oliver Arthur Stanley Raphael Francis Frederick Louie Roman
Other spellings of Lionel
Names related to Lionel
More Latin names
Olivia Aurora Emily Florence Mabel Luna Nora Rosie Emilia Max Nova Lucy Julian Clara Anthony Austin
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, “Lionel: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/lionel, updated 20 October 2026.