Leonardo
Boy name · German · Italian · Mexican · Spanish
Meaningbrave as a lion · Germanic
- US rank
- #91
- Syllables
- 3
- Peak
- #75 in 2022
3,789 babies were named Leonardo in the US in 2025. It has dropped 5 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1885–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Leonardo you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Leonardo
Leonardo da Vinci
Italian Renaissance polymath (1452−1519)
Choose Leonardo and your child shares a first name with Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian Renaissance polymath. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Leonardo, like who?” Leonardo da Vinci's Wikipedia article is available in 307 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Leonardo da Vinci on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Attributed to Francesco Melzi, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 451 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Leonardo, 3,789 babies in all. In a school of 500 kids, there'd probably be one other Leonardo.
- HistoryLeonardo first shows up in US birth records in 1885, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 140 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 2022, when it reached #75.
- Then vs nowLeonardo is 3.3× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,476 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 451.
- Where it's lovedLeonardo is most popular in Nevada, where it ranks #30, followed by California (#32) and Arizona (#37). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningIn Germanic, Leonardo means “brave as a lion”. Our records link it to German, Italian and Mexican roots.
- OriginLeonardo is the #5 most popular German boy name in the US. That's out of 863 German boy and unisex names in our list.
About the name Leonardo
Leonardo is a boy name of German, Italian and Mexican origin meaning “brave as a lion”. It has 8 letters and 3 syllables, starting with L and ending in “-rdo”. US birth records list Leonardo for boys from 1885 to 2025, in 122 of those 141 years. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked #75 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #91, with 3,789 babies.
Origin:German namesItalian namesMexican namesSpanish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 9.3 | 107,759 boys |
| 1900s | 26 | 38,066 boys |
| 1910s | 41 | 24,248 boys |
| 1920s | 46 | 21,683 boys |
| 1930s | 41 | 24,667 boys |
| 1940s | 36 | 28,145 boys |
| 1950s | 43 | 23,121 boys |
| 1960s | 74 | 13,604 boys |
| 1970s | 150 | 6,652 boys |
| 1980s | 173 | 5,790 boys |
| 1990s | 375 | 2,664 boys |
| 2000s | 973 | 1,028 boys |
| 2010s | 1,880 | 532 boys |
| 2020s | 2,350 | 425 boys |
More German boy names
- Boy name: Liam · resolute protector
- Unisex name: Miles · possibly gracious
- Boy name: Axel · father of peace
- Boy name: Robert · bright fame
- Unisex name: Myles · possibly gracious
- Boy name: Luis · famous warrior
- Unisex name: Charlie · free man
- Boy name: Carlos · free man
Questions about the name Leonardo
What does the name Leonardo mean?
Leonardo means “brave as a lion” in Germanic.
What is the origin of the name Leonardo?
Leonardo has German, Italian, Mexican, Spanish roots in our records. Other German names include Liam, Miles, Axel.
Is Leonardo a boy or girl name?
Leonardo is a boy name.
How popular is the name Leonardo?
Leonardo ranked #91 for US boys in 2025, given to 3,789 babies. Its best year was 2022 (#75).