What Does the Name Leonardo Mean?
Leonardo is a boy's name of Italian/Spanish (from Germanic) origin meaning “brave lion.”
Updated June 2026
| Name | Leonardo |
|---|---|
| Gender | male |
| Origin | Italian/Spanish (from Germanic) |
| Meaning | brave lion |
| Variants | Leonard, Léonard, Lennart, Leo |
| Popularity | Extremely popular in Brazil, Italy, and across Latin America, and rising in the United States. |
The meaning and origin of Leonardo
The name Leonardo means “brave lion” and has Italian/Spanish (from Germanic) origins. Leonardo is the Italian and Spanish form of Leonard, from the Germanic name combining 'leon' (Latin 'lion') and 'hard' ('brave, hardy'), giving 'brave/strong as a lion.' It is famously associated with Leonardo da Vinci.
Variants and related names
Leonardo is related to several other names you may recognize: Leonard, Léonard, Lennart, Leo. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.
How popular is the name Leonardo?
Extremely popular in Brazil, Italy, and across Latin America, and rising in the United States.
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Open the name generator →Frequently asked questions
What does the name Leonardo mean?+
The name Leonardo means “brave lion” and is of Italian/Spanish (from Germanic) origin.
What is the origin of the name Leonardo?+
Leonardo originates from Italian/Spanish (from Germanic).
Is Leonardo a popular name?+
Yes — see the popularity note above for how Leonardo has trended in the US over time.
Leonardo by gender
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Sources
- Behind the Name — Etymology and history of first names — Behind the Name
- US Social Security Administration — Popular baby names by year — Social Security Administration
- A Dictionary of First Names — Oxford Reference — Oxford University Press