Leonidas

Leonidas - A very unique male name

Leonidas appeared on the charts for the first time in 1917 on position #1718. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Leonidas and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Leonidas? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Leonidas. The baby boy name Leonidas was given to 551 baby boys in 2025, ranking #511 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 2,661 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Leonidas peaked in popularity 4 years ago in 2022 on position 419.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Leonidas, 1-5?

Leonidas is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Leonidas is currently topping the baby name charts in Hawaii at position #197 - and is the least popular in Minnesota at position #883.

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 Leonidas is where you live.

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Leonidas origin and meaning

Greek

'Son of the lion' — from Greek leon, 'lion', with the patronymic ending -idas

Leonidas was the Spartan king who held the pass at Thermopylae against Persia in 480 BC. The name is literally 'lion's son' or 'descendant of Leon'. Long rare in the US, it rose with the fashion for grand classical names, peaking in 2022.

Attested etymology

Leonidas is a 8 letter name with 4 syllables.

To see famous people named Leonidas, pop culture references for the name Leonidas and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Leonidas

We've found the following names that sound similar to Leonidas, sorted by popularity.

Lindsey / Lindsay / Landis / Leonides / Lantz /

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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)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Leonidas

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 Leonidas 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 Leonidas?

4 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.

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Pronunciation

lee-ON-ih-dus · /liˈɒnɪdəs/

Around the world

• Leónidas (Spanish) — The Spanish form, with an accent

Spellings and nicknames

Nicknames: LeoLeon

Famous bearers

• Leonidas I — King of Sparta who died defending Thermopylae in 480 BC (c. 540–480 BC) Historical

Style

ClassicRoyal

Why parents choose it

It gives parents the wearable nickname Leo wrapped in a heroic, four-syllable classical name.

Worth knowing

• The film 300 makes the Spartan association loud; some children will get 'This is Sparta' jokes.