Names That Mean Lion

Leocadia marries a mix of sounds: the strength of a lion, with a rhythmic Latin ending.

This spelling variation of trending unisex Ari — both diminutives of Hebrew Ariel — means "lion of God".

Leontine is the French form of a name that's more familiar by its spelling variation Leontyne, the name made famous by opera diva Price. An obscure choice, Leontine nevertheless feels right for our lion-name-crazed moment.

A fairly common name in many Slavic countries, especially Russia – perhaps in part because it sounds close to the name of the country, although the two words are unrelated etymologically. The name Ruslan was used by Russian poet Alexander Pushkin for the hero of his epic poem Ruslan and Ludmila, based on Russian and Tatar folktales about the hero Yeruslan Lazarevich. Yeruslan or Uruslan is a Tatar name likely deriving from Turkic arslan "lion".

There are a lot of lion-themed names in fashion these days, and Lenna is one of the more unusual. It's a genuine European short form, ala Leni, given to about 100 baby girls in the US last year.

Lovely, international, tea-scented possibility undiscovered by baby names.

A rare form of Llywellyn/Llewellyn, influenced by Latin Leo "lion".

This form got noticed as the first name of long-reigning Russian president Brezhnev; other bearers include playwright and short-story writer Andreyev, Leonid the Magnificent,a Russian performance artist on America's Got Talent, and Leonid McGill, the protagonist of a Walter Mosley private eye series. All in all, though, Leonid is not the most likely to join the pride of lion-related names here.

Overly ambitious choice, recently borne by the hapless hero of cult movie hit Napoleon Dynamite.

Traditional African name made cartoonish by the Disney character in The Lion King. In Shona it means "strength".

Attractive but uncommon name which has been used as a character name in several movies, including The Lion King II and Planet of the Apes. Ziri and Tiziri are variants.

If you like Dylan, Quinn, or Leo but find them too popular, Quillan could be a distinctive and interesting alternative. It is sometimes connected to the zodiac sign of Leo, making it a cool way to honor a someone born under the lion sign, or to mark your baby's birthdate if they're born between July and August.

Leya is a simple, attractive multicultural choice, but with some teasing peril. The "Star Wars" princess spelled her name Leia.

Hamza was the legendary uncle of the Prophet Muhammad, hero of The Hamzanama, the Story of Hamza.

Othniel is mentioned in the Bible and Tanakh (in the Book of Judges) where he is the first of the biblical judges mentioned. Othniel was related to Caleb, which might make these two names a nice biblically themed sib-set.

Tau, rhyming with cow, is a simple straightforward name with roots in two languages and cultures, the Kaurna language spoken by indigenous Australian people or the African Tswana language, a Bantu language spoken by five million people.

Levan is a cool Georgian variant of Leon, popular in its native country. With that sleek V sound in the middle, it may appeal to parents looking for a unique alternative to Levi.

The etymology of Leontel is unclear, though it could be seen as a variation of Lionel. It has rarely been used anywhere, though it does have more French connections than anything. While the nickname Leon might seem a little dated, Leo is right on trend.

Lionel is yet another traditional boy's name entering the girls' column--at least once-- via prizewinning novelist Lionel (born Margaret Ann) Shriver.

This is the original form of the ancient name also spelled Llewelyn. In ancient Wales, it was borne by two princes who for a time united their countrymen in North Wales and led opposition to the power of the Norman barons in the south. Llywelyn ap Iorwerth was the greatest of the Welsh rulers of the Middle Ages. This is a popular patriotic name, with nicknames Llelo and Llew, which is also Welsh for 'lion.'