Leonel - A very unique male name
Leonel at a glance
Leonel is ranked #349 among boy baby names in 2025, with 911 births in 2025. It peaked in 2023 at #308 and first appeared on the charts in 1914.
- Rank in 2025
- #349
- Births in 2025
- 911
- Peak year
- 2023 (#308)
- First appeared
- 1914
- Trend
- #349 in 2020 → #349 in 2025 (Steady)
- Popularity
- 1 in 1,610 boys
- Visitor rating
- 5.0/5 (2 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 1,610 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Leonel peaked in popularity 3 years ago in 2023 on position 308.
Famous with this name
Leonel Nieto
Leonel Brizola
Clara de Sousa Leonel
How would you rate Leonel, 1-5?
Leonel is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Leonel is currently topping the baby name charts in Arizona at position #151 - and is the least popular in Ohio at position #1,192.Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Leonel is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Leonel origin and meaning
Spanish form of Lionel, diminutive of Leon
'Little lion' — Leonel is the Spanish form of Lionel, a diminutive of Leon, 'lion'
Leonel is the Spanish form of Lionel, itself a French diminutive of Leon, from the Latin and Greek word for lion. It has been in US data since 1914, carried by Spanish-speaking families. Its rank is unchanged since 2020, holding exactly at #349, with a recent high in 2024.
Attested etymology
Leonel is a 6 letter name with 3 syllables.
To see famous people named Leonel, pop culture references for the name Leonel and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Leonel
We've found the following names that sound similar to Leonel, sorted by popularity.
Lionel / Lemuel / Lionell / Lonnell / Lamel / Lenell / Lynell / Lonell /Name statistics
Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better
understanding of how popular or unique this name is.
With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually
differ a lot from state to state.
Chart position per year (visualized)
Chart position per state (visualized)
Chart position per year (table view)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 349 |
| 2024 | 320 |
| 2023 | 308 |
| 2022 | 331 |
| 2021 | 375 |
| 2020 | 349 |
| 2019 | 345 |
| 2018 | 359 |
| 2017 | 370 |
| 2016 | 373 |
| 2015 | 393 |
| 2014 | 430 |
| 2013 | 472 |
| 2012 | 445 |
| 2011 | 461 |
| 2010 | 454 |
| 2009 | 478 |
| 2008 | 484 |
| 2007 | 478 |
| 2006 | 459 |
| 2005 | 426 |
| 2004 | 474 |
| 2003 | 535 |
| 2002 | 537 |
| 2001 | 545 |
| 2000 | 523 |
| 1999 | 543 |
| 1998 | 566 |
| 1997 | 593 |
| 1996 | 558 |
| 1995 | 577 |
| 1994 | 570 |
| 1993 | 551 |
| 1992 | 554 |
| 1991 | 571 |
| 1990 | 595 |
| 1989 | 592 |
| 1988 | 598 |
| 1987 | 611 |
| 1986 | 587 |
| 1985 | 610 |
| 1984 | 607 |
| 1983 | 646 |
| 1982 | 611 |
| 1981 | 600 |
| 1980 | 640 |
| 1979 | 647 |
| 1978 | 661 |
| 1977 | 745 |
| 1976 | 690 |
| 1975 | 678 |
| 1974 | 726 |
| 1973 | 699 |
| 1972 | 721 |
| 1971 | 734 |
| 1970 | 755 |
| 1969 | 813 |
| 1968 | 788 |
| 1967 | 760 |
| 1966 | 796 |
| 1965 | 762 |
| 1964 | 745 |
| 1963 | 849 |
| 1962 | 882 |
| 1961 | 887 |
| 1960 | 785 |
| 1959 | 917 |
| 1958 | 845 |
| 1957 | 819 |
| 1956 | 913 |
| 1955 | 838 |
| 1954 | 859 |
| 1953 | 902 |
| 1952 | 813 |
| 1951 | 942 |
| 1950 | 797 |
| 1949 | 768 |
| 1948 | 880 |
| 1947 | 755 |
| 1946 | 814 |
| 1945 | 858 |
| 1944 | 819 |
| 1943 | 915 |
| 1942 | 819 |
| 1941 | 825 |
| 1940 | 908 |
| 1939 | 723 |
| 1938 | 936 |
| 1937 | 777 |
| 1936 | 856 |
| 1935 | 983 |
| 1934 | 938 |
| 1933 | 999 |
| 1932 | 1076 |
| 1931 | 997 |
| 1930 | 1093 |
| 1929 | 1175 |
| 1928 | 1517 |
| 1927 | 1165 |
| 1926 | 1206 |
| 1925 | 1285 |
| 1924 | 1039 |
| 1923 | 1855 |
| 1922 | 963 |
| 1921 | 1228 |
| 1920 | 1205 |
| 1919 | 1213 |
| 1918 | 1281 |
| 1916 | 1682 |
| 1915 | 1645 |
| 1914 | 1413 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 151 |
| Texas | 155 |
| California | 181 |
| Delaware | 194 |
| New Mexico | 227 |
| Colorado | 267 |
| Illinois | 284 |
| Nevada | 291 |
| Massachusetts | 368 |
| Oklahoma | 385 |
| Washington | 414 |
| Oregon | 424 |
| Utah | 428 |
| Florida | 454 |
| Georgia | 458 |
| Arkansas | 473 |
| Iowa | 476 |
| Nebraska | 476 |
| Kansas | 501 |
| New Jersey | 509 |
| South Carolina | 532 |
| Maryland | 544 |
| New York | 553 |
| North Carolina | 556 |
| Indiana | 648 |
| Wisconsin | 658 |
| Michigan | 663 |
| Minnesota | 765 |
| Pennsylvania | 820 |
| Missouri | 837 |
| Tennessee | 895 |
| Ohio | 1192 |
Even more about Leonel
These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.
Is Leonel a common or unique name?
By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.What is the number of syllables for the name Leonel?
3 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.Pronunciation
lee-oh-NEL · /lioʊˈnɛl/
English speakers say lee-oh-NEL; in Spanish it is leh-oh-NEL with a lighter first syllable.
Around the world
- Lionel (English) — English and French form of the same name
- Leonello (Italian) — Italian form
Spellings and nicknames
- Lionel — The form most familiar in English
Nicknames: Leo
Famous bearers
- Leonel Fernández — Former president of the Dominican Republic (b. 1953) Contemporary
Style
ClassicInternational
Why parents choose it
Leonel gives Spanish-speaking families the lion name in their own form, with Leo as a natural short version.
Worth knowing
- English speakers will default to Lionel — footballer Lionel Messi's spelling — and Leonel will need correcting.
- Not to be confused with Lionel Messi's given name, which is a different spelling.
