Leondra
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "lioness" or "brave as a lion".
Name Census estimates that about 719 living Americans carry the first name Leondra. It is a predominantly female name (99.3% of registrations). The average person named Leondra today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Leondra births was 1995 (37 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Leondra. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
719
~ 1 in 476,710 Americans
Peak year
1995
37 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
1977 SSA rank
#6,431
Tracked since 1945
Gender
Gender distribution for Leondra
Out of the 763 babies given the name Leondra since 1880, 99.3% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Leondra as a male name
- Ranked #6,431 in 1977
- 5 male births in 1977
- Peak: 1977 (5 births)
Leondra as a female name
- Ranked #17,338 in 2017
- 5 female births in 2017
- Peak: 1995 (37 births)
Popularity
Leondra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Leondra from the 1940s through to the 2010s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 244 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Leondra by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Leondra during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Leondras live
Origin
Meaning and history of Leondra
The name Leondra has its origins in the Greek language, derived from the combination of the words "leon" meaning lion and "andros" meaning man. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a brave or courageous individual, someone with the strength and ferocity of a lion. The name can be traced back to ancient Greece, where it was likely used during the classical period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Leondra can be found in the writings of the ancient Greek historian Plutarch, who lived in the 1st century AD. He mentioned a woman named Leondra in his work "Parallel Lives," though little is known about her specific identity or significance.
During the Byzantine era, which spanned from the 4th to the 15th century AD, the name Leondra gained popularity among the nobility and aristocracy of the Eastern Roman Empire. Several notable historical figures bore this name, including Leondra Palaiologina, a Byzantine princess who lived in the 14th century and was a member of the influential Palaiologos dynasty.
In the realm of literature, the name Leondra appears in the works of the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. One of his comedies, titled "The Frogs," features a character named Leondra, though her role and significance within the play are relatively minor.
Another notable figure with the name Leondra was a 5th-century Byzantine empress consort named Leondra Gabrielitsa. She was the wife of Emperor Leo I and played a influential role in the political and religious affairs of the Byzantine Empire during her husband's reign.
In the realm of religion, the name Leondra has been associated with various Christian saints and martyrs throughout history. One such figure was Saint Leondra of Salerno, an Italian nun who lived in the 10th century and is venerated in the Catholic Church for her pious devotion and charitable works.
While the name Leondra has its roots in ancient Greece and the Byzantine Empire, it has also been adopted and used in other cultures and regions over the centuries. However, it has remained relatively uncommon compared to other more popular names, adding to its uniqueness and historical significance.
People
Leondra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Leondra as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Leondra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Leondra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 719 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Leondra going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 476,710 US residents.
Is Leondra a common name?
We classify Leondra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 763 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Leondra most popular?
The single biggest year for Leondra was 1995, when 37 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Leondra is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Leondra a female name?
Yes, 99.3% of people registered as Leondra in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.