Boy name · Germanic
Leonardo
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: brave lionLeonardo is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "brave lion". It is used in English, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
- Meaning
- Brave lion
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #91 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Leonardo
As a boy's name, Leonardo comes from Germanic and means "brave lion". It is used in English, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
In Italian, say leh-oh-NAR-doh. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Leonardo on our names that mean strong list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Leonardo on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Leonardo on 3 lists.
“Brave lion; Germanic. No. 1 in Italy every year since 2018. Say leh-oh-NAR-doh”
From Italian boy names, popular Italian boy names right now
“Brave lion; Germanic. Leonardo of Pisa, later called Fibonacci, who spread Hindu-Arabic numerals in Europe”
From Medieval names and surnames, medieval Italian, Spanish and Portuguese names
“Brave lion; Germanic. No. 4 in 2020 (INEGI). Say leh-oh-NAR-doh”
From Mexican boy names, popular Mexican boy names (INEGI 2020)
How popular is Leonardo?
- US rank in 2025
- #91
- 3,789 babies, 2,218 per million boys
- Best rank
- #75 in 2022
- Most babies: 4,427 in 2019
- Babies since 1885
- At least 96,066
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 5 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 28 per million |
| 1910s | 38 per million |
| 1920s | 46 per million |
| 1930s | 40 per million |
| 1940s | 35 per million |
| 1950s | 43 per million |
| 1960s | 73 per million |
| 1970s | 149 per million |
| 1980s | 173 per million |
| 1990s | 374 per million |
| 2000s | 976 per million |
| 2010s | 1,874 per million |
| 2020s | 2,351 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #96 | #97 | #93 | #86 | #86 | #87 | #75 | #84 | #84 | #91 |
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.
Other forms of Leonardo
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- LennartBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- LennyBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- LeonardBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- LeonhardBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- LeoA lion (Latin, boy)
- LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- RicardaBrave ruler (Germanic, girl)
- AndreaManly, brave (Greek, girl)
- AndreasManly, brave (Greek, boy)
- ArielLion of God (Hebrew, boy)
- BahadurBrave, valiant (Turkic, boy)
- BernadetteBrave bear (Germanic, girl)
- BernardBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
Middle names for Leonardo
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Germanic
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoldEagle power (Germanic, boy)
Leonardo: common questions
What does the name Leonardo mean?
Leonardo comes from Germanic and means "brave lion".
Is Leonardo a boy or girl name?
Leonardo is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Leonardo come from?
Leonardo comes from Germanic and means "brave lion". Today it is used in English, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
How popular is the name Leonardo?
Leonardo ranked #91 in the US in 2025, with 3,789 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Leonardo?
Forms of Leonardo with the same meaning and origin include Lennart (Scandinavian), Lenny (English), Leonard (English) and Leonhard (German).
What middle names go with Leonardo?
Middle names that flow well with Leonardo include Basil, Drake, Glenn, Henry and Hugh. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.