Girl name · Greek
Leona
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: lionessLeona is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "lioness". It is used in English, German and Spanish.
- Meaning
- Lioness
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #429 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Leona
As a girl's name, Leona comes from Greek and means "lioness". It is used in English, German and Spanish.
In Spanish, say leh-OH-nah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Leona on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Leona on 2 lists.
“Lioness; Latin. Independence heroine Vicario. Say leh-OH-nah”
From Mexican girl names, names of famous Mexican women
“Lioness; Greek. Bold, golden and fierce”
From Strong female names, brave and bold girl names
How popular is Leona?
- US rank in 2025
- #429
- 723 babies, 450 per million girls
- Best rank
- #69 in 1904
- Most babies: 3,335 in 1918
- Babies since 1880
- At least 113,330
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 1,639 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 2,288 per million |
| 1900s | 3,364 per million |
| 1910s | 2,921 per million |
| 1920s | 2,178 per million |
| 1930s | 1,329 per million |
| 1940s | 623 per million |
| 1950s | 293 per million |
| 1960s | 202 per million |
| 1970s | 131 per million |
| 1980s | 79 per million |
| 1990s | 52 per million |
| 2000s | 80 per million |
| 2010s | 246 per million |
| 2020s | 386 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #596 | #547 | #508 | #510 | #484 | #515 | #531 | #521 | #487 | #429 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Leona
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- LenaShort form of Helena or Magdalena (Greek, girl)
- LunaThe moon (Latin, girl)
- LeilaNight, from Arabic layl (Arabic, girl)
- LeonieA lioness (Latin, girl)
- LeiaForm of Leah; Princess Leia in Star Wars (Hebrew, girl)
- LeaGerman form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
- LehuaBlossom of the ʻōhiʻa tree (Hawaiian, girl)
- LeonelaLittle lion (Latin, girl)
- LeraShort form of Valeriya, to be strong (Latin, girl)
Middle names for Leona
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Greek
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
- PetraRock, stone (Greek, girl)
- RitaA pearl (Greek, girl)
- AgnesPure, chaste (Greek, girl)
- AngelaMessenger, angel (Greek, girl)
- BarbaraForeign woman (Greek, girl)
- ChloeGreen shoot (Greek, girl)
- ClioGlory (Greek, girl)
- CorinnaMaiden (Greek, girl)
- DoraGift (Greek, girl)
Leona: common questions
What does the name Leona mean?
Leona comes from Greek and means "lioness".
Is Leona a boy or girl name?
Leona is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Leona come from?
Leona comes from Greek and means "lioness". Today it is used in English, German and Spanish.
How popular is the name Leona?
Leona ranked #429 in the US in 2025, with 723 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Leona?
Names spelled like Leona include Lena, Luna, Leila, Leonie and Leia.
What middle names go with Leona?
Middle names that flow well with Leona include Abigail, Alexandra, Elizabeth, Holly and Marigold. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.