Leon
Ultimately from Latin Leo and leo (“lion”), from Ancient Greek Λέων (Léōn) and λέων (léōn, “lion”), likely ultimately from a non-Indo-European language.
Every Leon since 1880 — 184,074 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Leon
Leon is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #138 in 2025 with 2,583 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 184,074 American babies have been named Leon. Its peak came in 1924, when 2,714 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Leon stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Leon year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 2,583 | #138 |
| 2024 | — | — | 2,572 | #141 |
| 2023 | — | — | 2,459 | #148 |
| 2022 | 7 | #13,017 | 2,374 | #158 |
| 2021 | — | — | 2,198 | #177 |
| 2020 | 6 | #14,403 | 1,924 | #196 |
| 2019 | — | — | 1,866 | #208 |
| 2018 | — | — | 1,605 | #238 |
| 2017 | — | — | 1,518 | #244 |
| 2016 | — | — | 1,313 | #277 |
| 2015 | — | — | 1,140 | #314 |
| 2014 | — | — | 1,081 | #321 |
| 2013 | — | — | 1,021 | #324 |
| 2012 | — | — | 859 | #356 |
| 2011 | — | — | 696 | #406 |
| 2010 | — | — | 669 | #418 |
| 2009 | — | — | 628 | #445 |
| 2008 | — | — | 549 | #499 |
| 2007 | — | — | 543 | #488 |
| 2006 | — | — | 517 | #502 |
| 2005 | — | — | 470 | #524 |
| 2004 | — | — | 462 | #520 |
| 2003 | — | — | 495 | #497 |
| 2002 | — | — | 472 | #489 |
| 2001 | — | — | 469 | #490 |
| 2000 | — | — | 457 | #500 |
| 1995 | — | — | 503 | #452 |
| 1990 | — | — | 594 | #390 |
| 1985 | 7 | #8,850 | 727 | #283 |
| 1980 | 14 | #5,116 | 904 | #248 |
| 1975 | 10 | #5,777 | 884 | #233 |
| 1970 | 10 | #5,256 | 1,222 | #207 |
| 1965 | 9 | #4,677 | 1,263 | #199 |
| 1960 | 19 | #2,867 | 1,647 | #189 |
| 1955 | 17 | #2,789 | 2,141 | #143 |
| 1950 | 14 | #2,842 | 2,427 | #119 |
| 1945 | 11 | #2,847 | 2,098 | #111 |
| 1940 | 13 | #2,368 | 2,318 | #89 |
| 1935 | 13 | #2,377 | 2,282 | #86 |
| 1930 | 23 | #1,684 | 2,401 | #81 |
| 1925 | 27 | #1,630 | 2,636 | #76 |
| 1920 | 42 | #1,181 | 2,554 | #75 |
| 1915 | 31 | #1,273 | 1,977 | #82 |
| 1910 | 17 | #1,094 | 435 | #81 |
| 1905 | 9 | #1,366 | 274 | #87 |
| 1900 | 10 | #1,275 | 310 | #85 |
| 1895 | — | — | 219 | #87 |
| 1890 | — | — | 197 | #87 |
| 1885 | — | — | 146 | #99 |
| 1880 | — | — | 118 | #114 |
Famous people named Leon
- Leon Trotsky Politician · 1879–1940
- Leon Battista Alberti Architect · 1404–1472
- Leon Festinger Psychologist · 1919–1989
- Leon Cooper Physicist · b. 1930
- Leon M. Lederman Physicist · 1922–2018
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Leon mean?
Ultimately from Latin Leo and leo (“lion”), from Ancient Greek Λέων (Léōn) and λέων (léōn, “lion”), likely ultimately from a non-Indo-European language.
How popular is the name Leon in 2025?
Leon ranked #138 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 2,583 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Leon?
184,074 babies have been named Leon in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Leon most popular?
Leon peaked in 1924, when 2,714 newborns received the name.
Is Leon a boy or girl name?
Leon is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Leon rising or falling?
Leon is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Leon?
Well-known people named Leon include Leon Trotsky (politician), Leon Battista Alberti (architect), Leon Festinger (psychologist).