Leon
2025 SSA
About Leon
Currently overshadowed by the bright and lively Leo, Leon feels a slightly more serious, more quietly confident than its short and trending counterpart.
Just as leonine as Leo and Leonardo, Leon is popular across Europe, ranking in the Top 40 in Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, Poland, Germany and Finland. It has dipped in and out of the UK Top 100, but as of 2022, it is back.
Leon peaked in the US in the 1920s, but it is on the rise again as parents turn to familiar-but-less-used alternatives to the most popular names. In 2023, it was in the US Top 200, and given to nearly 2500 boys.
A name with history, Russian Marxist revolutionary Lev Davidovich Bronstein is better known to history as Leon Trotsky. Leon (LAY-on) has been the name of three French prime ministers, while Leon Russell (born Claude) is a respected singer-songwriter.
Pronounced LEE-ahn.
As of October 2026, Leon ranked #138 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #73 in 1926, Nameberry popularity #51.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #321 | 1,081 | 562.8 |
| 2015 | #314 | 1,140 | 594.8 |
| 2016 | #277 | 1,313 | 691.9 |
| 2017 | #244 | 1,516 | 819 |
| 2018 | #238 | 1,605 | 883.7 |
| 2019 | #208 | 1,866 | 1,040 |
| 2020 | #196 | 1,923 | 1,114.1 |
| 2021 | #177 | 2,198 | 1,256.4 |
| 2022 | #158 | 2,373 | 1,359.1 |
| 2023 | #148 | 2,456 | 1,435.8 |
| 2024 | #141 | 2,547 | 1,478.3 |
| 2025 | #138 | 2,583 | 1,512.2 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Leon.
- Ezekiel
- Tobias
- Malachi
- Raphael
- Cedric
- Adrian
- Abel
- Tristan
- Vincent
- Hayato
- Matthias
- Julius
- Julian
- Gideon
- Alec
- Lorenzo
- Rafael
- Maximus
- Xavier
- Quentin
Leon on lists
Famous Leons
- Leon Leonwood Bean
founder of L.L. Bean
- Leon Battista Alberti
Italian Renaissance man
- Leon Eric "Kix" Brooks
American country music singer of duo Brooks & Dunn
- Leon Trotsky (born Lev Davidovich Bronstein)
Russian revolutionary
- Leon Curtis Frierson
American actor/comedian
- Leon Lastarza Lafayette Lorenzo Hall
American NFL football player
- Leon Edward Panetta
former U.S. Secretary of Defense
- Leon Preston Robinson IV
American actor
- Leon Spinks
American boxer
- Leon G. Thomas III
American actor, record producer, songwriter, and singer
- Leon Dewitt Washington
American football player
- Leon Williams
American football player
- Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges)
American musician
- Leon James "Lee" DeWyze
American singer,songwriter
- Leon Brittan
former English MP
- Leon Frank Sylvers III
American singer,songwriter
- Todd Michael "Leon" Bridges
American gospel/soul singer
- Leon Frank Czolgosz
American anarchist who assassinated U.S. President William McKinley
- Leon Bailey
Jamaican professional footballer
- Leon Jackson
Scottish singer, winner of The X Factor 2007
- Leon Oliveira Martins aka Coisa de Nerd
Brazilian YouTuber
- LÉON
stage name of Swedish singer,songwriter Lotta Lindgren
- Léon Bruel (b. 2005)
son of singer Patrick Bruel
- Leon (b. 2010)
son of singer Zhana Bergendorff
- Leon von Fürstenberg (b. 2012)
son of Prince Alexander von Fürstenberg and Ali Kay
- Leon Kroos (b. 2013)
son of footballer Toni Kroos
- Leon Castro (b. 2013)
son of actress Mercedes Scápola and Mariano Castro
- Leon Alexandre Biaggi
son of motorcyclist Max Biaggi and beauty queen Eleonora Pedron
- Leon Bell
son of guitarist Andy Bell of Oasis and singer Idha Övelius
- Leon Alexander Krull
son of singers Liv Kristine and Alexander Krull of Atrocity
- Leon Kostelić (b. 2016)
son of skier Ivica Kostelić
- Knox Leon Jolie
Pitt, son of actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
- Leon Bridges
American singer-songwriter
Leon in pop culture
- Léon Montana
main character in 1994 film "Léon: The Professional"
- Leon Black
character played by JB Smoove on "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
- Leon Scott Kennedy
main character in the Resident Evil series
- Leon Phelps
The Ladies Man, character played by Tim Meadows on TV's "Saturday Night Live" and in a 2000 movie
- Leon Vance
a character on TV's "NCIS"
- Leon Kompowsky
character who impersonated Michael Jackson (voiced by the real Michael Jackson), in an episode of "The Simpsons"
- Leon
character in movie "Eloise at the Plaza"
- Leon
character in The Fast and the Furious series
- Sir Leon
knight in Arthurian legends
- Leon Grey
main character in the series "Birthmarked" by Caragh M. O'Brien
- Leon
Reborn's pet chameleon in the manga and anime, 'Katekyo Hitman Reborn!'
- Leon
a former dragon priest and eligible bachelor in the 3DS game Rune Factory 4
- LEON
English Vocaloid
- Leon
character in TV series, "Canimals".
- Kings of Leon
American Rock Band
- León
former Spanish kingdom
- Leon Tallis
character in Atonement by Ian McEwan