Leonhart first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Leonhart has been for the last 1 years (from 2023 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Leonhart

A German masculine given name derived from "lion" and "hardy".

Popularity of Leonhart by gender

Based on the last 1 years of data, Leonhart is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 6 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Leonhart.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 6 0

The history of the first name Leonhart

The name Leonhart is of German origin, derived from the elements "leon" meaning "lion" and "hart" meaning "brave" or "hardy." It likely emerged during the Middle Ages, a time when German names often carried symbolic meanings related to strength, courage, and other virtues prized by medieval society.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Leonhart dates back to the 13th century, when a knight named Leonhart von Eisenburg was mentioned in a chronicle from the region of Franconia, in present-day Germany. The name gained popularity among the German nobility and upper classes during this period, as parents sought to imbue their sons with the qualities embodied by the name's meaning.

In the 16th century, the name Leonhart appeared in the writings of the German reformer Martin Luther, who referred to a follower by that name in one of his letters. This suggests that the name had spread beyond the aristocracy and was in use among the general population by that time.

Notable historical figures bearing the name Leonhart include Leonhart Fuchs (1501-1566), a German botanist and physician who made significant contributions to the study of plants and their medicinal properties. Another important figure was Leonhart Rauwolf (1535-1596), a German botanist and traveler who explored the Middle East and brought back numerous plant specimens to Europe.

In the realm of literature, the name Leonhart was immortalized by the German author Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in his novel "Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship," where one of the characters is named Leonhart. This work, published in 1795-1796, helped to further cement the name's place in German culture.

Other notable individuals named Leonhart throughout history include Leonhart Danner (1497-1559), a German painter and wood carver known for his religious works, and Leonhart Schröter (1532-1601), a German mathematician and astronomer who made important calculations related to the motion of celestial bodies.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Leonhart was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Leonhart, please contact us.

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"Leonhart first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 9, 2025. http://namecensus.com/first-names/leonhart-meaning-and-history/.

"Leonhart first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/leonhart-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 9 May, 2025

Leonhart first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/leonhart-meaning-and-history/.

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