Leona

Leona is the feminine form of the name Leon, which originates from Ancient Greek and means "lion," as well as from Leo, which comes from Latin and also means "lion." Therefore, Leona is associated with "the lioness."

What does the name Leona mean?

Leona is the feminine variant of Leon, derived from the Ancient Greek word leon for "lion" and the Latin word leo, which also means "lion." Its meaning is therefore "the lioness." The name is particularly common in English and German-speaking countries. In Germany, however, Leona was less known for a long time but has steadily increased in popularity since 2000. Today, it ranks second after Leonie among the most popular variants of girl names derived from Leon and Leo. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Leona was also a common name among Jewish people. Variants include Leonelle, Leonia, Leoni, Leonilla, Leonille, Leonina, Leontine, Leony, Liona, and Loana, as well as the short form Lona. Notable bearers of the name include the German author Leona Stahlmann and the British singer Leona Lewis.

Where does the name Leona come from?

The name Leona has its roots in Ancient Greek and Latin and means "the lioness." The etymological origins are: Ancient Greek 'leon' = the lion and Latin 'leo' = the lion. It is widespread in several languages, including American, German, English, and Jewish.

How do you pronounce Leona?

The pronunciation of Leona is melodic and consists of three syllables. In German, the name is typically pronounced as "Le-o-na" [leˈoːna]. It begins with a long E sound that conveys an open tone. The middle syllable has a long O sound, while the ending "-na" gives the name a gentle touch. Leona sounds resonant and elegant, making it both harmoniously structured and present.

When is the name day of Leona?

The name days for Leona are celebrated on April 19, June 12, and November 10.

Popularity

The first name Leona is very popular in Germany. In the current ranking of the most common female baby names, it holds the 249th position. The best placement was achieved in 2010 with 123rd place. In the last ten years, Leona has been chosen as a first name approximately 2,600 times, placing it 250th in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 213th.

Nicknames & pet names

Le / Lea / Lele / Leleschko / Leli / Lelo / Len / Lena / Leni / Leo / Leon / Leonardo / Leonca / Leonita / Leonka / Leönchen / Lona / Loni / Nana / Nona / Ona

Similar first names

Famous people

• Leona Aglukkaq (* 1967), Canadian Inuit politician
• Leona Baumgartner (physicist from the USA)
• Leona Brown (American boxer)
• Leona Cavalli (Brazilian actress)
• Leona Dalrymple (writer from Germany)
• Leona Florentino (Filipino writer)
• Leona Gabriel (French musician)
• Leona Gom (writer from Canada)
• Leona Graham (English voice actress)
• Leona Helmsley (billionaire New York City hotel operator and real estate investor)
• Leona Hutton (American actress)
• Leona Kvasnicova (dancer from the Czech Republic)
• Leona Lamberto (writer)
• Leona Lewis (singer)
• Leona Machalkova (Czech singer)
• Leona Mitchell (American opera singer)
• Leona Naess (singer)
• Leona Neumannova (Czech volleyball player)
• Leona Paraminski (Croatian actress)
• Leona Roberts (American actress)