Leo
Latin for lion, taken up by early Christians and by thirteen popes. It also serves as a short form of Leonard and Leopold.
Leo in 2025
Leo was given to 8,196 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 30th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 405 babies born.
The history of Leo
Leo reached its highest point in 2022, when 8,325 babies were given the name, ranking 34th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 27th, in 2023.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 262,124 babies have been named Leo. Half of them were born before 1958, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Leo by decade
| Decade | Babies named Leo | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,159 | 165 |
| 1890s | 4,825 | 137 |
| 1900s | 5,784 | 128 |
| 1910s | 27,050 | 110 |
| 1920s | 37,456 | 114 |
| 1930s | 23,083 | 148 |
| 1940s | 17,075 | 254 |
| 1950s | 15,618 | 340 |
| 1960s | 9,539 | 480 |
| 1970s | 5,419 | 641 |
| 1980s | 4,583 | 749 |
| 1990s | 4,749 | 912 |
| 2000s | 12,312 | 394 |
| 2010s | 44,827 | 58 |
| 2020s | 47,645 | 27 |
Where Leo is heading
Leo has risen 78% over the past decade, from 4,614 babies in 2015 to 8,196 in 2025.
Names like Leo
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Leo.