The name Leon is derived from the Greek word leon, meaning "lion." It was a top-100 boy's name in the United States every year between 1900 and 1943 before fading away and falling out of the top 500 in the early 2000s. The animal-inspired name returned to the top-200 in 2020 and appears to be making a comeback, though not as popular as Leo. It's the name "My Name Is Earl" star Jaime Pressly gave one of her twin sons, "PEN15" actress Maya Erskine gave her son, Leon Frederick, and former tennis player Anett Kontaveit gave her son, Leon Enzo, born in 2024. Other variations include Leo, Leonidas, Leonel and, for girls, Leonia or Leona.
