Boy · Germanic (Italian form) · International
Leonardo
LeonardoSay it lee-oh-NAR-doh
- Meaning today
- Brave lion, lion-hearted
- Original meaning
- ""strong as a lion": Germanic lewo, "lion", and hart, "hard"" Online Etymology Dictionary
- Say it
- lee-oh-NAR-doh
Leonardo
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Leonardo meaning
Leonardo is an international boy's name of Germanic origin (Italian form).
"strong as a lion": Germanic lewo, "lion", and hart, "hard"
Also used to mean: brave lion, lion-hearted
Leonardo is the Italian form of Leonard. The Online Etymology Dictionary traces Leonard to an Old High German compound, Lewenhart, 'strong as a lion', made from lewo, a Germanic borrowing of Latin leo, 'lion', and hart, 'hard' or 'strong', the same word as English 'hard'. Baby-name lists give 'brave lion' or 'lion-hearted', which is close to that sense. The most famous bearer is Leonardo da Vinci, the painter of the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, and in recent years the actor Leonardo DiCaprio. It is said lee-oh-NAR-doh and is often shortened to Leo.
Source: Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com) · entry Leonard · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Online Etymology Dictionary, Leonard · Wikipedia, Leonardo da Vinci
Famous namesakes
- Leonardo da Vinci, Italian painter and inventor
- Leonardo DiCaprio, American actor
Popularity abroad
- #91 United States, boys 2025 (down 7 from 84 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #126 England and Wales, boys 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.