Fun Facts About the Name Leona
- A favorite of earlier generations: Leona appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 27 years. Its last run lasted 1 consecutive years, from 1923 through 1923.
- More than 113 thousand babies named Leona: U.S. records list 113,617 babies given the name Leona from 1880 through 2025. Even 294 boys received the name Leona - about 1 boy for every 385 girls.
What Does the Name Leona Mean?
Leona is a feminine given name meaning "lioness." Its ultimate root is the Greek word λέων (leon), "lion," which passed into Latin as leo. The name can be understood either as the masculine given name Leon with the feminine ending -a or as the Romance noun for a female lion used as a name; both explanations point to the same root. The same root lies behind the masculine names Leo and Leon. In Spanish, leona is the ordinary word for a lioness, which matches the customary meaning of the given name.
Leona Name History & Origins
Leona belongs to the family of names derived from the Greek word for lion. The masculine forms Leon and Leo were used in Greek and Latin antiquity and became familiar in Christian Europe through early popes and saints named Leo. Leona is a later feminine counterpart, formed by adding the common feminine ending -a to Leon. Its history is therefore tied to Leon and Leo rather than to a separate ancient name. In Spanish, the same form leona exists as the everyday noun for a lioness, and the given name can be understood in that light. In English, Leona is a feminine given name formed on the Leon model; it is not the classical Latin noun for a lioness, which was leaena.
How Popular is the Name Leona?
Leona recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1918. Leona ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1896 through 1921, then returned in 1923 and remained through 1923.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #429 | 723 | 0.0450% |
| 2024 | #488 | 624 | 0.0387% |
| 2023 | #518 | 586 | 0.0366% |
| 2022 | #531 | 585 | 0.0357% |
| 2021 | #515 | 600 | 0.0366% |
| 2020 | #484 | 633 | 0.0392% |
| 2019 | #510 | 616 | 0.0367% |
| 2018 | #508 | 611 | 0.0359% |
| 2017 | #547 | 565 | 0.0327% |
| 2016 | #596 | 507 | 0.0286% |
| 2015 | #681 | 419 | 0.0235% |
| 2014 | #738 | 379 | 0.0212% |
| 2013 | #730 | 374 | 0.0213% |
| 2012 | #912 | 287 | 0.0163% |
| 2011 | #920 | 283 | 0.0161% |
| 2010 | #990 | 256 | 0.0144% |
| 2009 | #971 | 274 | 0.0149% |
| 2008 | #1,098 | 237 | 0.0125% |
| 2007 | #1,522 | 152 | 0.0079% |
| 2006 | #1,538 | 143 | 0.0075% |
| 2005 | #1,503 | 139 | 0.0075% |
| 2004 | #1,509 | 134 | 0.0073% |
| 2003 | #1,809 | 104 | 0.0057% |
| 2002 | #1,740 | 105 | 0.0058% |
| 2001 | #1,932 | 90 | 0.0050% |
| 2000 | #1,639 | 108 | 0.0059% |
| 1999 | #1,778 | 90 | 0.0051% |
| 1998 | #1,878 | 82 | 0.0046% |
| 1997 | #1,591 | 101 | 0.0058% |
| 1996 | #1,679 | 91 | 0.0052% |
| 1995 | #1,645 | 90 | 0.0051% |
| 1994 | #1,919 | 74 | 0.0041% |
| 1993 | #1,686 | 89 | 0.0049% |
| 1992 | #1,559 | 100 | 0.0054% |
| 1991 | #1,415 | 114 | 0.0061% |
| 1990 | #1,497 | 104 | 0.0055% |
| 1989 | #1,158 | 142 | 0.0077% |
| 1988 | #1,316 | 110 | 0.0062% |
| 1987 | #1,176 | 125 | 0.0072% |
| 1986 | #1,125 | 129 | 0.0075% |
| 1985 | #1,078 | 135 | 0.0078% |
| 1984 | #1,121 | 123 | 0.0073% |
| 1983 | #1,083 | 128 | 0.0077% |
| 1982 | #1,022 | 144 | 0.0085% |
| 1981 | #966 | 152 | 0.0091% |
| 1980 | #903 | 167 | 0.0101% |
| 1979 | #854 | 182 | 0.0113% |
| 1978 | #814 | 184 | 0.0120% |
| 1977 | #864 | 170 | 0.0111% |
| 1976 | #863 | 158 | 0.0108% |
| 1975 | #751 | 191 | 0.0131% |
| 1974 | #750 | 189 | 0.0129% |
| 1973 | #679 | 220 | 0.0151% |
| 1972 | #663 | 227 | 0.0149% |
| 1971 | #702 | 218 | 0.0131% |
| 1970 | #609 | 285 | 0.0163% |
| 1969 | #597 | 277 | 0.0164% |
| 1968 | #579 | 275 | 0.0168% |
| 1967 | #540 | 303 | 0.0184% |
| 1966 | #530 | 317 | 0.0187% |
| 1965 | #508 | 348 | 0.0197% |
| 1964 | #479 | 405 | 0.0214% |
| 1963 | #449 | 462 | 0.0240% |
| 1962 | #472 | 419 | 0.0213% |
| 1961 | #471 | 428 | 0.0212% |
| 1960 | #455 | 461 | 0.0228% |
| 1959 | #439 | 482 | 0.0238% |
| 1958 | #402 | 530 | 0.0263% |
| 1957 | #418 | 497 | 0.0243% |
| 1956 | #394 | 521 | 0.0259% |
| 1955 | #389 | 508 | 0.0260% |
| 1954 | #364 | 568 | 0.0292% |
| 1953 | #344 | 583 | 0.0310% |
| 1952 | #338 | 602 | 0.0325% |
| 1951 | #302 | 669 | 0.0371% |
| 1950 | #298 | 681 | 0.0398% |
| 1949 | #283 | 738 | 0.0431% |
| 1948 | #277 | 775 | 0.0456% |
| 1947 | #268 | 815 | 0.0460% |
| 1946 | #245 | 819 | 0.0521% |
| 1945 | #227 | 843 | 0.0645% |
| 1944 | #221 | 896 | 0.0675% |
| 1943 | #199 | 1,061 | 0.0760% |
| 1942 | #195 | 1,055 | 0.0781% |
| 1941 | #189 | 998 | 0.0826% |
| 1940 | #183 | 1,028 | 0.0899% |
| 1939 | #177 | 1,075 | 0.0980% |
| 1938 | #173 | 1,164 | 0.1055% |
| 1937 | #173 | 1,173 | 0.1102% |
| 1936 | #161 | 1,235 | 0.1187% |
| 1935 | #155 | 1,308 | 0.1247% |
| 1934 | #140 | 1,472 | 0.1410% |
| 1933 | #139 | 1,461 | 0.1450% |
| 1932 | #134 | 1,670 | 0.1565% |
| 1931 | #133 | 1,743 | 0.1637% |
| 1930 | #130 | 1,872 | 0.1663% |
| 1929 | #122 | 2,020 | 0.1809% |
| 1928 | #122 | 2,085 | 0.1808% |
| 1927 | #121 | 2,243 | 0.1881% |
| 1926 | #112 | 2,429 | 0.2049% |
| 1925 | #108 | 2,515 | 0.2066% |
| 1924 | #103 | 2,794 | 0.2237% |
| 1923 | #100 | 2,744 | 0.2275% |
| 1922 | #101 | 2,825 | 0.2352% |
| 1921 | #92 | 3,210 | 0.2603% |
| 1920 | #89 | 3,166 | 0.2642% |
| 1919 | #90 | 3,033 | 0.2684% |
| 1918 | #79 | 3,335 | 0.2881% |
| 1917 | #80 | 3,115 | 0.2881% |
| 1916 | #75 | 3,086 | 0.2955% |
| 1915 | #74 | 2,972 | 0.3021% |
| 1914 | #79 | 2,174 | 0.2855% |
| 1913 | #74 | 1,911 | 0.3060% |
| 1912 | #76 | 1,650 | 0.2956% |
| 1911 | #76 | 1,329 | 0.3177% |
| 1910 | #79 | 1,220 | 0.3077% |
| 1909 | #72 | 1,167 | 0.3361% |
| 1908 | #73 | 1,118 | 0.3344% |
| 1907 | #72 | 1,106 | 0.3472% |
| 1906 | #72 | 1,017 | 0.3444% |
| 1905 | #69 | 1,082 | 0.3710% |
| 1904 | #69 | 998 | 0.3624% |
| 1903 | #76 | 881 | 0.3363% |
| 1902 | #76 | 875 | 0.3313% |
| 1901 | #78 | 779 | 0.3255% |
| 1900 | #85 | 825 | 0.2752% |
| 1899 | #84 | 665 | 0.2854% |
| 1898 | #90 | 665 | 0.2570% |
| 1897 | #89 | 619 | 0.2643% |
| 1896 | #94 | 556 | 0.2337% |
| 1895 | #102 | 520 | 0.2226% |
| 1894 | #104 | 471 | 0.2113% |
| 1893 | #102 | 463 | 0.2175% |
| 1892 | #104 | 440 | 0.2072% |
| 1891 | #113 | 352 | 0.1898% |
| 1890 | #120 | 332 | 0.1744% |
| 1889 | #109 | 348 | 0.1951% |
| 1888 | #118 | 311 | 0.1741% |
| 1887 | #130 | 208 | 0.1425% |
| 1886 | #125 | 227 | 0.1571% |
| 1885 | #115 | 231 | 0.1736% |
| 1884 | #121 | 210 | 0.1628% |
| 1883 | #119 | 178 | 0.1585% |
| 1882 | #124 | 163 | 0.1511% |
| 1881 | #121 | 138 | 0.1501% |
| 1880 | #119 | 137 | 0.1506% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | #2,216 | 12 | 0.0009% |
| 1940 | #3,020 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1938 | #2,777 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1937 | #2,801 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1936 | #2,549 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1935 | #2,841 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1934 | #2,492 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1932 | #2,756 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1931 | #2,573 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1930 | #3,169 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1929 | #2,869 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1928 | #2,469 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1927 | #2,360 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1926 | #3,278 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1925 | #2,681 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1924 | #3,696 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1923 | #3,333 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1922 | #2,919 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1921 | #3,377 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1920 | #2,100 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1919 | #3,596 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1918 | #2,632 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1917 | #3,791 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1916 | #1,817 | 17 | 0.0019% |
| 1913 | #1,886 | 10 | 0.0020% |
| 1912 | #1,975 | 8 | 0.0019% |
| 1910 | #907 | 13 | 0.0067% |
| 1908 | #1,073 | 8 | 0.0052% |
| 1906 | #1,193 | 6 | 0.0045% |
| 1904 | #1,316 | 5 | 0.0039% |
| 1903 | #1,224 | 5 | 0.0042% |
| 1901 | #904 | 7 | 0.0066% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Leona
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Leona Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You always bring to completion anything you start. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. You have an executive ability, you are a leader. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. You always think before you act. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Leona's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Leona's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.