Leo: meaning and UK use

What does Leo mean?

Leo is the Latin word for lion and is also used as a short form of names such as Leonard. These routes can coexist for the same spelling.

Language or name family covered

Latin; also a short form

Meaning or derivation

Lion

Our browsing group

boy; modern, classic

Browsing groups describe our editorial shortlist, not rules about who may use a name. A name can cross languages and genders.

Sources for this entry — reviewed 2026-10-07:

• Behind the Name — Leo

Pronunciation and related forms

LEE-oh (English)

English respellings are approximate; IPA is labelled where used. Follow the pronunciation a person or family chooses, and check it with a speaker of the intended language if that connection matters to you.

Related forms recorded in the reference: Leonard. These may be full forms, diminutives or forms in another language; they are not necessarily pronounced alike or counted together in statistics.

How popular is Leo?

In 2025, 3,278 baby boys in England and Wales were registered as Leo, making it the 3rd most popular boys’ name. That is up 2 places on 2024, when it ranked 5th. Ten years earlier, in 2015, it ranked 15th, so it has climbed 12 places in a decade. 2025 is its highest ranking in the ONS series, which starts in 1996. These figures cover England and Wales, not the whole UK.

2025 rank (boys)

3rd

2025 registrations

3,278

Best rank in this series

3rd (2025)

Every year from 1996 to 2025

Leo: rank and number of baby boys by year (ONS)

Year	Rank	Babies
2025	3	3,278
2024	5	3,324
2023	5	3,416
2022	5	3,610
2021	6	3,465
2020	6	3,314
2019	6	3,637
2018	6	3,721
2017	7	3,781
2016	13	3,563
2015	15	3,468
2014	16	3,414
2013	17	3,264
2012	20	3,134
2011	27	2,664
2010	36	2,123
2009	40	2,011
2008	40	1,903
2007	43	1,697
2006	33	2,047
2005	37	1,723
2004	57	1,119
2003	77	774
2002	88	601
2001	101	504
2000	142	261
1999	160	216
1998	176	192
1997	212	154
1996	210	149

The sum of published counts in this 1996–2025 boys series is 66,527. This is a lower bound where years are suppressed, not the number of living people with the name. A best rank is the best position within this series; it does not establish an all-time record.

Selected hyphenated registrations starting with Leo in 2025: Leo-James: 10 (boys). This selection includes up to four matching forms with at least ten registrations, not every compound name.

Sources: ONS release, 2025; girls' dataset; boys' dataset. Our 20 top-ten positions were checked against Table 1 in the 2025 workbooks. The history chart and spelling comparisons come from the separate ONS 1996–2025 workbook, checked 7 October 2026. Spelling variants are separate entries. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate statistics.

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Names to compare with Leo

These suggestions share a browsing group and one or more of our style tags or source-context labels. They are taste comparisons, not etymological relatives or a popularity ranking.

• Judemodern, classic · A variant of Judas
• Aaravmodern · Crying, howling or noise
• Albiemodern · A short form of Albert
• Archiemodern · A short form of Archibald
• Arjunclassic · A modern form of Arjuna
• Arlomodern · Meaning uncertain

Read the UK naming guide for the difference between inspiration lists and official statistics, or return to the full name finder.

Registering or changing the name

Once you decide on Leo, confirm the registration process for your UK nation with the register office. If you later want to change a registered name, the route depends on the circumstances and may require consent from people with parental responsibility.

Start with GOV.UK birth registration or GOV.UK guidance on changing a child’s name. Our registration guide and child name-change guide explain where to find the relevant official process.