Leonel
Spanish and Portuguese form of Lionel, a French diminutive meaning little lion, from Latin leo. The parent form was borne by a knight of Arthurian romance.
Leonel in 2025
Leonel was given to 942 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 689th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 3,519 babies born.
The history of Leonel
Leonel reached its highest point in 2024, when 1,084 babies were given the name, ranking 624th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 612th, in 2023.
Across the 116 years of records since 1910, 27,072 babies have been named Leonel. Half of them were born before 2010, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Leonel by decade
| Decade | Babies named Leonel | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 131 | 2,829 |
| 1920s | 266 | 2,432 |
| 1930s | 324 | 1,899 |
| 1940s | 390 | 2,015 |
| 1950s | 476 | 2,208 |
| 1960s | 633 | 2,111 |
| 1970s | 1,083 | 1,710 |
| 1980s | 1,886 | 1,375 |
| 1990s | 3,196 | 1,152 |
| 2000s | 5,139 | 902 |
| 2010s | 7,618 | 682 |
| 2020s | 5,930 | 612 |
Where Leonel is heading
Leonel has risen 15% over the past decade, from 821 babies in 2015 to 942 in 2025.
Names like Leonel
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Leonel.