Origin: Latin, Germanic
Meaning: Leo comes from Latin word leo meaning “lion”. It’s a constellation representing to the Ancient Greeks the Nemean lion killed by the Greek demigod and hero Herakles (Hercules) as one of his twelve labors.
Leo is also one of the signs of the Zodiac, belonging to those born between July 22nd to August 23rd. Apparently those born under this sign are stubborn, loyal and trustworthy, assured, confident and ambitious, but prone to arrogance, jealousy and bossiness.
Leo is also a nickname for names like Leopold, a Germanic name meaning “bold people” from elements leud (people) and bald (bold), the first part of the name deliberately changed to resemble leo; and Leonard meaning “brave lion” from Germanic levon (lion) and hard (brave, hardy).
Variants:
- Leon (Greek, Ancient Greek, English, German, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Dutch)
- Leontios (Ancient Greek)
- Leontius (Ancient Greek, Latin)
- Levon (Armenian)
- Leoš (Czech)
- Léo (French)
- Léon (French)
- Léonce (French form of Leontios)
- Lionel (French diminutive of Léon; English)
- Levan (Georgian)
- Leone (Italian)
- Leonzio (Italian form of Leontios)
- Leonas (Lithuanian)
- Lef (Polish cognate of Lev)
- Lev (Russian)
- Leonti (Russian)
- Leontiy (Russian)
- Leonty (Russian)
- Lyov (Russian)
- León (Spanish)
- Leoncio (Spanish)
