Leona

Leona meaning

Leona is a Christian girl's name of Latin origin.

Feminine of Leo/Leon: lion (Latin leo, leonem)

Also used to mean: lioness

Leona is a feminine form of Leo and Leon, from Latin leo, "lion". The Online Etymology Dictionary traces English lion through Old French to Latin leonem and Greek leōn. The lion is an image of courage and royalty, and in Revelation 5:5 Christ is called "the Lion of the tribe of Juda". Fourteen popes have taken the name Leo, from Saint Leo the Great to Leo XIV, elected in 2025. In India Leona is used in Christian families, especially in Kerala, where the actress Leona Lishoy is a well-known bearer.

Source: Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com), s.v. lion · entry lion · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Online Etymology Dictionary, lion · Revelation 5:5 (Bible Hub)

Famous namesakes

• Leona Lishoy, Malayalam film actress

Popularity abroad

• #429 United States, girls 2025 (up 58 from 487 in 2024)
  US Social Security Administration
• #705 England and Wales, girls 2025
  Office for National Statistics

Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.

Spellings

Leona · Leonah · Liona

Related names

Also meaning courage

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