Declining since 2022, #5,608 for boys today.
Popularity of Leonid since 1959
Babies named Leonid per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 7 |
| 1980s | 10 |
| 1990s | 33 |
| 2000s | 107 |
| 2010s | 191 |
| 2020s | 141 |
Meaning & origin
Leonid is a masculine name of Greek origin meaning 'lion-like,' and it has maintained a steady, if modest, presence in the United States since its first recorded use in 1959. As of 2025, the name ranks 5,608, with approximately 1 in 106,755 babies named Leonid. Its popularity peaked in 2022, though it has been declining slightly since then. Leonid is a strong, classic name with deep historical and cultural roots, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Greek tradition, making it a recognizable yet uncommon choice in the English-speaking world.
Leonid derives from the Greek name Leonidas, composed of 'leon' meaning lion and '-idas' meaning descendant or son of. The name is most famously associated with Leonidas I, the Spartan king who led the Greeks at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. In Eastern Europe, Leonid became a popular given name through the Eastern Orthodox tradition, particularly in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, where it is often associated with several saints, including Saint Leonid of Optina.
“Leonid” around the world
Where Leonid lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Lyonya, Lyosha, Leo
Sibling names for Leonid
Names that share Leonid's style, for a brother or sister.
