Leon is a first name of Greek origin-the Greek λέων (léon; leōn), meaning "lion," has spawned the Latin "Leo,"

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

"Lyon," Irish "Leon" and Spanish "León." Perhaps the oldest attested historical figure to bear this name was Leon of Sparta, a 6th-century BCE king of Sparta, while in Greek mythology Leon was a Giant killed by Heracles. During the Christian era Leon was merged with the Latin cognate Leo, with the result that the two forms are used interchangeably.Withycombe, E.G. (1945) ''The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names'', 3rd edition, Oxford University Press A similar Greek name to Leon is Leonidas, meaning "son of a lion", with Leonidas I, king of Sparta, being perhaps the most famous bearer of that name. Leon (English, German, Dutch, Russian version) or Léon (French version) or León (Spanish version) may refer to:

Etymology

Ancient Greek λέων from Proto-Semitic *labiʾ- (not Indo-European).

People

Leon of Byzantium Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

(died ~336 BC), Byzantine politician and/or historian, pupil of Aristoteles *

Leon of Macedon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

(fl. 197 BC), Macedonian cavalry commander *

Leon (mathematician) Leon ( el, Λέων) was Ancient Greek mathematician and pupil of Neocleides. His book ''Elements'' was overshadowed by Euclid Euclid (; grc-gre, Εὐκλείδης; BC) was an ancient Greek mathematician active as a geometer and logicia ...

(fl. 400 BC), Greek mathematician, precursor of Euclid * Leon of Modena (1571–1648), Venetian scholar *

Leon of Pella Leon of Pella (Greek: ) or Leo the Egyptian (4th century BC) was a historian, priest and theologian. He wrote the book ''On the Gods in Egypt ()'', based on an apocryphal letter of Alexander the Great to his mother Olympias. He was a contemporary ...

, Macedonian historian * Leon of Phlius (fl. ~620 BC), tyrant of his city *

Leon of Salamis Leon of Salamis (; grc-gre, Λέων) was a historical figure, mentioned in Plato's '' Apology'', Xenophon's ''Hellenica'' and Andocides' ''On the Mysteries'' (1.94). This Leon may also be the renowned Athenian general Leon of the Peloponnesian ...

(died 406 or 403 BC), Athenian politician and naval commander * Leon of Sparta, Spartan king *

Leon of Sparta (Ephor) Leon ( grc-gre, Λέων) was the 14th Agiad dynasty King of Sparta, ruling from 590 BC to 560 BC. Name ''Leon'' means "lion". The grandson of Leon had a similar name: Leonidas I, Leonidas. Biography Leon is mentioned in the seventh book of ...

, Spartan Olympic victor in the chariot race 424, eponymous ephor 419/18 BC * Leo the Deacon, Byzantine historian *

León Aillaud León Aillaud Barreiro was an Interim Governor of the Mexican State of Veracruz in the period from June 22, 1911, to December 12, 1911. Early years Born in the city and port of Veracruz, in the year 1880. Did his primary school in his hometown ...

(1880–1936), Mexican politician *

Leon Ashley Leon Walton (May 18, 1936 – October 20, 2013), better known by his stage name Leon Ashley, was an American country music singer. He is known mainly for his single "Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)", which topped the country singles charts ...

(1936–2013), American country music singer and songwriter *

Léon Bakst Léon Bakst (russian: Леон (Лев) Николаевич Бакст, Leon (Lev) Nikolaevich Bakst) – born as Leyb-Khaim Izrailevich (later Samoylovich) Rosenberg, Лейб-Хаим Израилевич (Самойлович) Розенбе ...

(1866-1924), Russian painter and scene- and costume designer * Leon Bates (1899–1972), American union leader * Leon Belasco (1902 – 1988), Russian-American musician and actor * Leon Benois (1856–1928), Russian architect *

Leon Berkowitz Leon Berkowitz (1911–1987) was an American artist and educator. He is best known for his color field paintings and the series, ''The Unities''. He co-founded the Washington Workshop Center, a gallery and school. Berkowitz was a leading member o ...

(1911–1987), American abstract painter *

Leon Best Leon Julian Brendan Best (born 19 September 1986) is a retired professional footballer who played as a striker. He has played for the Republic of Ireland national football team. Best represented Ireland at under-21 level and won his first ful ...

(born 1986), Irish football player *

Léon Bloy Léon Bloy (; 11 July 1846 – 3 November 1917) was a French Catholic novelist, essayist, pamphleteer (or lampoonist), and satirist, known additionally for his eventual (and passionate) defense of Catholicism and for his influence within French C ...

(1846–1917), French writer *

Léon Blum André Léon Blum (; 9 April 1872 – 30 March 1950) was a French socialist politician and three-time Prime Minister. As a Jew, he was heavily influenced by the Dreyfus affair of the late 19th century. He was a disciple of French Socialist le ...

(1872–1950), French politician and Prime Minister * Léon Boëllmann (1862–1897), French composer *

Leon Bourgeois Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again f ...

(1851–1925), French politician and Prime Minister * Léon Breitling (1860–1914), Swiss watchmaker and businessman * Leon Brittan (1939–2015), British politician * Leon Burns (1942–1984), American football player * Leon Camier (born 1986), British motorcycle racer *

Léon Chagnaud Léon Chagnaud (1866-1930) was a French businessman and politician. Early life Léon Chagnaud was born on 12 March 1866 in Le Bourg-d'Hem, rural France.Jean Gammal, Pascal Plas, Guy Avizou''Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Limousin sous la IIIe ...

(1866–1930), French businessman and politician. *

Leon Chua Leon Ong Chua (; ; born June 28, 1936) is an American electrical engineer and computer scientist. He is a professor in the electrical engineering and computer sciences department at the University of California, Berkeley, which he joined in 1971. ...

, a Chinese-American scientist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley * Leon Cooper (born 1930), American physicist and Nobel Prize laureate *

Leon Cooperman Leon G. Cooperman (born April 25, 1943) is an American billionaire investor and hedge fund manager. He is the chairman and CEO of Omega Advisors, a New York-based investment advisory firm managing over $3.3 billion in assets under management ...

(1943–) American billionaire investor, hedge fund manager * Leon Czolgosz (1873–1901), American anarchist * Leon Dănăilă (1933-), Romanian neurosurgeon *

Léon Dierx Léon Dierx (; March 31, 1838 – June 11, 1912) was a French poet born in Saint-Denis in 1838. He came to Paris to study at the Central School of Arts and Manufactures and subsequently settled there, taking up a post in the education office. He ...

(1838–1912), French poet *

Léon Dion Léon Dion (9 October 1922 – 20 August 1997) was a Canadian political scientist. Dion was born in Saint-Arsène, Rivière-du-Loup Regional County Municipality. He founded the department of political science at Université Laval with G ...

(1922–1997), Canadian political scientist * Leon Draisaitl (1995-), German ice hockey player * Leon Durham (born 1957), American baseball player * Leon Edel (1907–1997), American writer and literary critic * Leon Edney (born 1935), American admiral *

Léon Arthur Elchinger Léon-Arthur Elchinger (2 July 1908, in Soufflenheim – 30 June 1998, in Strasbourg) was the Bishop of Strasbourg from 1967 to 1984. Diploma * Ph.D in Theology and in Scholasticism philosophia * Bachelor of Arts Career in the Order * 1931: ...

(1908–1998), French Catholic archbishop *

León Febres Cordero León Esteban Febres-Cordero Ribadeneyra (9 March 1931 – 15 December 2008), known in the Ecuadorian media as LFC or more simply by his composed surname (Febres-Cordero), was the 35th President of Ecuador, serving a four-year term from 10 Augu ...

(1931–2008), Ecuadorian politician and President * Leon Feldhendler (1910–1945), Polish Jewish resistance fighter *

León Felipe León Felipe Camino Galicia (11 April 1884 – 17 September 1968) was an anti-fascist Spanish poet. Biography Felipe was born in Tábara, Zamora, Spain, while his parents were travelling. His father was a public notary and comfortably off. ...

(1884–1968), Spanish poet * Leon Fleisher (born 1928), American pianist and conductor * Léon Foucault (1819–1868), French physicist *

Leon Friedman (legal scholar) Leon Friedman (born February 6, 1933) is an American legal scholar and Joseph Kushner Distinguished Professor of Civil Liberties Law at Hofstra University Hofstra University is a private university in Hempstead, New York. It is Long Island's ...

(born 1933), American legal scholar *

Leon Friedman (politician) Leon Friedman (October 23, 1886 – September 1, 1948) was a Democrat who served from 1932 to 1940 as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from his native Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. Friedman was a member of a prominent lan ...

(1886 – 1948), American politician * Léon Gambetta (1838–1882), French politician and Prime Minister * Leon Garfield (1921–1996), British author * Léon Gaumont (1864–1946), French inventor and industrialist * Léon Gérin (1863–1951), Canadian lawyer * León Gieco (born 1951), Argentinian musician and interpreter * Leon Goldensohn (born 1911), American psychiatrist and author of The Nuremberg Interviews * Leon M. Goldstein (died 1999), American President of Kingsborough Community College, and acting Chancellor of the

City University of New York The City University of New York ( CUNY; , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven Upper divis ...

* Léon Goossens (1897–1988), British oboist *

Léon Guérin Léon Guérin (1807–1885) was a French writer, poet, and naval historian. Guérin started writing tales and short stories under his given name, as well as the pen names ''Guérin-Dulion'' and ''Léonide de Mirbel''. In 1829, he published ''Chan ...

(1807-1885), French author, poet, and naval historian * Leon Haslam (born 1983), British motorcycle racer * Leon Hatziioannou (born 1965), Canadian football player * León Herrera Esteban (1922–2003), Spanish military officer and politician * Leon Jackson (born 1988), Scottish singer *

Leon Jacobs Leon Jacobs (born October 3, 1995) is a Nigerian-American professional American football linebacker for the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (USFL). He played college football at Wisconsin. The San Pedro native holds ...

(born 1995), American football player * Leon James (born 2001), Thai footballer * Leon Jaworski (1905–1982), American lawyer *

Leon Johnson (disambiguation) Leon Johnson may refer to: * Léon Johnson (1876–1943), French sport shooter * Leon W. Johnson (1904–1997), U.S. Air Force general and Medal of Honor recipient * Chaino (Leon Johnson, 1927–1999), American bongo player in the exotica genre * ...

, multiple people *

Leon S. Kennedy is a character in ''Resident Evil'' (''Biohazard'' in Japan), a survival horror video game series created by Japanese company Capcom. He debuted as one of the two player characters of the video game ''Resident Evil 2'' (1998), alongside Claire ...

(character), protagonist of horror video game series Resident Evil *

León Klimovsky León Klimovsky (16 October 1906 – 8 April 1996) was an Argentine film director, screenwriter and film producer. Biography A trained dentist, born in Buenos Aires, his real passion was always the cinema. He pioneered Argentine cultural moveme ...

(1906–1996), Argentine film director, screenwriter and film producer * Leon Klinghoffer (1916–1985), a Jewish-American man who was murdered *

Leon Koudelak Leon Koudelak is a Czech classical guitarist. He has toured internationally in most parts of Europe, Asia and the Americas. He inspired the composer Michael Buchrainer to write guitar music. In addition to his concert career, he co-founded the ...

(born 1961), Czech guitarist * Leon Krier (born 1986), Luxembourg architect * Leon Lai (born 1966), Hong Kong actor and singer * Leon Lederman (1922–2018), American physicist and Nobel Prize winner * Leon Leyson (1929–2013), Polish-American Holocaust survivor and author * Léon Augustin Lhermitte (1844–1925), French painter and etcher * Leon McKenzie (born 1978), British football player * Leon McQuay III (born 1994), American football player * Leon Parker Miller (1899–1980), American lawyer, politician, and judge *

Leon Milo Leon Milo (December 10, 1956 - August 31, 2014) is an American composer, percussionist and sound artist. He is known for music and sonic environments in which instruments, electronics, natural sounds and synthesis are unified. His music is inte ...

(born 1956), American musician *

Leon Moser Leon Jerome Moser (September 15, 1942 – August 16, 1995) was an American convicted murderer who was executed in Pennsylvania for the 1985 murders of his ex-wife and two daughters in Montgomery County. He was the second person to be executed in ...

(1942–1995), American murderer *

Léon Motchane Léon Motchane (19 June 1900 – 17 January 1990) was a French industrialist and mathematician and the founder of the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques in Bures-sur-Yvette. Biography Léon Motchane was of mixed Russian and Swiss parentage ...

(1900–1990), French industrialist and mathematician. Founder of the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques in Bures-sur-Yvette *

Leon Orr Leon Orr (born February 11, 1992) is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football for the Florida Gators. Professional career Oakland Raiders On May 8, 2015, Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professiona ...

(born 1992), American football player * Leon Panetta (born 1938), American politician *

Leon Pescheret Leon Rene Pescheret, also known as Léon-René Pescheret (March 15, 1892 – February 23, 1971) was a British-born American designer, watercolorist, etcher, and illustrator. Early life Pescheret was born in the London suburb of Chiswick, Eng ...

(1892–1971), British-American designer, watercolorist, etcher, and illustrator. *

Léon Pétillon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again f ...

(1903–1996), Belgian politician *

Léon Abel Provancher Léon Abel Provancher (born 10 March 1820, in the parish of Bécancour, Nicolet County, Quebec; d. at Cap-Rouge, Quebec, 23 March 1892) was a Canadian Catholic parish priest and naturalist. He is called the "Father of Natural History in Can ...

(1820–1892), Canadian priest and naturalist * Leon Punch (1928–1991), Australian politician *

Leon Radosevic Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

(born 1990), Croatian basketball player * Leon Redbone (1949–2019), American singer and songwriter *

Leon Robinson Leon Preston Robinson (born March 8, 1962), usually credited as simply Leon, is an American actor who began his professional career as a film actor in the early 1980s. Robinson is best known for his roles as David Ruffin in the TV film ''The T ...

(born 1962), American actor and singer *

Leon Rotman Leon Rotman (born 22 July 1934) is a retired Romanian sprint canoeist. He won two individual gold medals at the 1956 Olympics and a bronze medal in 1960. Life and sporting career Rotman is Jewish, and was born to a working-class Jewish family. ...

(born 1934), Romanian canoer *

Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and ...

(1942–2016), American singer and songwriter * Léon Say (1826–1896), French economist and politician * Leon Schiller (1887–1954), Austro-Hungarian director and composer *

Leon Schlesinger Leon Schlesinger (May 20, 1884 – December 25, 1949) was an American film producer who founded Leon Schlesinger Productions, which later became the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio, during the Golden Age of American animation. He was a distant r ...

(1884-1949), American film producer * Léon Schlienger (1922–2002), French songwriter * Leon Schuster (born 1951), South African filmmaker, actor and musician * Leon Shamroy (1901–1974), American film cinematographer *

Leon Simon Leon Melvyn Simon , born in 1945, is a Leroy P. Steele PrizeSee announcemen retrieved 15 September 2017. and Bôcher Memorial Prize, Bôcher Prize-winningSee . mathematician, known for deep contributions to the fields of geometric analysis, g ...

(1881-1965), British intellectual and civil servant; President of the

Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...

* Leon Sperling (1900–1941), Polish soccer player * Léon Spilliaert (1881–1946), Belgian painter * Leon Spinks (1953–2021), American boxer * Leon Sullivan (1922–2001), American civil rights leader * Leon Sylvers III (born 1953), American singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist * Leon Taylor (born 1977), British swimmer * Léon Teisserenc de Bort (1855–1913), French meteorologist * Léon Theremin (1896–1993), Russian inventor *

Leon Thijssen Leon Thijssen (born 15 January 1968, in Baarlo) is a Dutch show jumper.

(born 1968), Dutch show jumper * Leon Thomas III (born 1993), American actor * Leon Topalian, American businessman, CEO of Nucor * Leon Trotsky (1879–1940), Russian revolutionary and politician * Leon Underwood (1890–1975), British sculptor, painter and writer * Leon Uris (1924–2003), American novelist * Leon Vance (1916–1944), American aviators * Leon V of Armenia (1342–1393), King of Armenia * Léon Vaudoyer (1803–1872), French architect *

Léon Walras Marie-Esprit-Léon Walras (; 16 December 1834 – 5 January 1910) was a French mathematical economist and Georgist. He formulated the marginal theory of value (independently of William Stanley Jevons and Carl Menger) and pioneered the developmen ...

(1834–1910), French economist * Leon Ware (born 1940), American singer, songwriter and producer * Leon White (1955–2018), American professional wrestler, better known as Big Van Vader * Leon Wilkeson (1952–2001), American bassist, member of the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd * Leon Norman Williams (1914–1999), British barrister and philatelic writer

References

{{given name English masculine given names German masculine given names Romanian masculine given names Russian masculine given names French masculine given names Spanish masculine given names

Etymology

People

See also

References