Boy · Latin · International · Christian
Leo
LeoSay it LEE-oh
Leo meaning
Leo is an international and Christian boy's name of Latin origin.
A lion; also the constellation Leo
Leo is the Latin word for a lion, taken into Latin from Greek leōn; Lewis & Short also record it as the name of the constellation. That makes it the Western name of the zodiac sign Indian families know as Simha. As a personal name Leo has a long Christian history: fourteen popes have taken it, from Leo the Great in the fifth century to Leo XIV, elected in 2025. Other bearers include the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy. Baby-name lists give 'lion', which is the plain meaning of the word. It is short and bright, said LEE-oh.
Source: Lewis & Short, A Latin Dictionary (1879), via Logeion · entry leo · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Lewis & Short, leo (via Logeion) · Wikipedia, Pope Leo XIV · Wikipedia, Pope Leo I
Famous namesakes
- Pope Leo I (Leo the Great)
- Leo Tolstoy, Russian novelist
- Pope Leo XIV, elected 2025
Popularity abroad
- #19 United States, boys 2025 (up 5 from 24 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #3 England and Wales, boys 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.