Leone
An Italian masculine name derived from the word for lion.
Name Census estimates that about 1,024 living Americans carry the first name Leone. It is a predominantly female name (93.5% of registrations). The average person named Leone today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Leone births was 1916 (262 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Leone. 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.
Key insights
- • Leone was once a predominantly female name but has become increasingly popular for boys in recent decades.
People living today
1.0K
~ 1 in 334,721 Americans
Peak year
1916
262 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,494
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Leone
Leone leans heavily female at 93.5% of total registrations, but 430 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Leone as a male name
- Ranked #4,494 in 2024
- 23 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (25 births)
Leone as a female name
- Ranked #16,596 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1916 (253 births)
Popularity
Leone: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Leone from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 1,863 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Leone 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 Leone during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Leones live
The SSA's state-level files cover 26 states and territories. Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan recorded the most babies named Leone, while West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 108 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Leone
The name Leone has its origins in the Italian language, derived from the Latin name Leo, which means "lion." It is a masculine given name that has been in use since ancient times.
In ancient Roman culture, the lion was a symbol of strength, courage, and nobility. The name Leo was frequently given to male children, particularly among the upper classes and nobility. Over time, the name evolved into various forms, with Leone becoming a common variant used in Italy.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Leone can be found in the works of Roman historian Suetonius, who mentioned a man named Leone in his writings from the 2nd century AD. The name also appears in various medieval Italian texts and records, indicating its continued popularity throughout the centuries.
In the Christian tradition, the name Leone has been associated with several notable figures. One of the most famous was Pope Leo I, also known as Pope Saint Leo the Great, who served as the Bishop of Rome from 440 to 461 AD. He is renowned for his theological writings and his efforts to defend the doctrine of the Incarnation against heresies.
Another prominent figure bearing the name Leone was Leone Battista Alberti (1404-1472), an Italian Renaissance humanist, author, artist, architect, poet, priest, linguist, philosopher, and cryptographer. He made significant contributions to various fields, including architecture, art theory, and cryptography.
In the realm of literature, Leone Ebreo (c. 1460-c. 1535) was a Jewish philosopher and poet who wrote in Italian and Hebrew. His most famous work, "Dialogues of Love," explored the concept of love from a Neoplatonic perspective and had a significant influence on Renaissance thought.
Leone Leoni (c. 1509-1590) was a renowned Italian sculptor and medalist during the Renaissance period. He is best known for his portrait busts and medals depicting prominent figures of his time, including Emperor Charles V and Pope Paul III.
Finally, Leone Caetani (1869-1935) was an Italian prince, historian, and archaeologist. He is celebrated for his extensive research on the history of the Islamic world, particularly his monumental work "Annali dell'Islam," a comprehensive chronicle of the early Islamic era.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Leone throughout history, highlighting its enduring presence across various cultural and historical contexts.
People
Leone + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Leone 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
Leone: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Leone?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,024 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Leone 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 334,721 US residents.
Is Leone a common name?
We classify Leone as "Rare". It ranks above 90.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6,605 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Leone most popular?
The single biggest year for Leone was 1916, when 262 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Leone is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Leone a female name?
Yes, 93.5% of people registered as Leone 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.