Leonard or ''Leo'' is a common

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

masculine

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

and a surname. The given name and surname originate from the

Old High German Old High German (OHG; german: Althochdeutsch (Ahd.)) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally covering the period from around 750 to 1050. There is no standardised or supra-regional form of German at this period, and Old High ...

''Leonhard'' containing the prefix ''levon'' ("lion") from the Greek Λέων ("lion") through the Latin '' Leo,'' and the suffix ''hardu'' ("brave" or "hardy"). The name has come to mean "lion strength", "lion-strong", or "lion-hearted". Leonard was the name of a Saint in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

period, known as the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

of prisoners. Leonard is also an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

origin surname, from the Gaelic ''O'Leannain'' also found as O'Leonard, but often was anglicised to just Leonard, consisting of the prefix ''O'' ("descendant of") and the suffix ''Leannan'' ("lover"). The oldest public records of the surname appear in 1272 in

Huntingdonshire Huntingdonshire (; abbreviated Hunts) is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire and a historic county of England. The district council is based in Huntingdon. Other towns include St Ives, Godmanchester, St Neots and Ramsey. The popu ...

, England, and in 1479 in

Ulm Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, which has an estimated population of more than 126,000 (2018), forms an urban district of its own (german: link=no, ...

, Germany.

Variations

The name has variants in other languages: * Leen,

Leendert Leendert is a Dutch given name. Notable people with this name include: * Leendert van Beijeren (1619–1649), Dutch painter * Leendert Bosch (1924–2017), Dutch biochemist * Leen Buis (1906–1986), Dutch road cyclist, given name Leendert * Leen ...

, Lenard (Dutch) * Lehnertz, Lehnert (Luxembourgish) * Len (English) * :hu:Lénárd (Hungarian) * Lenart (disambiguation) (Slovene) * Linhart (Czech) * Lennard, diminutive forms Lenny *

Lennart Lennart or Lennarth is a Germanic variant of the name Leonard, most common in Scandinavia and German-speaking countries as a surname or masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname *Camilla Lennarth (born 1988), Swedish go ...

(Swedish, Estonian, Dutch) * Lennert (German, Dutch) * Lev (Ukrainian) * Lenni (Finnish) * Lenno ( Groningen) * Lenny (English) * Leo (many languages) *

Leon 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 ...

(English, German, Dutch, Russian) * Léon (French), León (Spanish) * Léonard (; French) * Leonard = "Renata" in Māori, Waitaha * Leonardo (Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese) *

Leonhard Leonhard may refer to: *Leonhard Euler (1707–1783), Swiss mathematician and physicist *Leonhard Hutter (1563–1616), German theologian *Karl Leonhard (1904–1988), German psychiatrist *Jim Leonhard (1982– ), American football safety * LEONHA ...

, Leonhardt (German) * Leontxo (Basque) * O'Leannáin * O'Lionaird

In other languages

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

: Լեոնարդ (Leonard) * Croatian: Leonard *

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

: Leonard * French: Léonard *

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

: ლეონარდ (Leonard) *

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

: Leonard, Leonhard, Leonhardt, Lennart *

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: Λεονάρδος (Leonárdos) *

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

: לֵב־אֲרִי (Lév-Ari) * Hungarian: Lénárd, Leonárd *

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

: Leonardo * Latvian: Linards * Lithuanian: Leonardas *

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

: Renātā * Maltese: Nardu *

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

: Leonard *

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

: Leonardo *

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...

: Leonard *

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

: Леонард (Leonard) * Serbian: Леонард (Leonard) *

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

: Leonardo *

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

: Lennart *

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...

: לעאָנאַרד (Leonard) *

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

: Лев

Given name

Leonard Adleman Leonard Adleman (born December 31, 1945) is an American computer scientist. He is one of the creators of the RSA encryption algorithm, for which he received the 2002 Turing Award, often called the Nobel prize of Computer science. He is also kno ...

(born 1945), American computer scientist * Léonard Autié (1751–1820), French hairdresser *

Leonard Baskin Leonard Baskin (August 15, 1922 – June 3, 2000) was an American sculptor, draughtsman and graphic artist, as well as founder of the Gehenna Press (1942–2000). One of America's first fine arts presses, it went on to become "one of the most imp ...

(1922–2000), American artist * Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990), American conductor and composer * Leonard Burton (born 1964), American football player * Leonard of Chios (died 1458), Catholic archbishop *

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

(1934–2016), Canadian singer-songwriter *

Leonard Cheshire Geoffrey Leonard Cheshire, Baron Cheshire, (7 September 1917 – 31 July 1992) was a highly decorated Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot and group captain during the Second World War, and a philanthropist. Among the honours Cheshire received as ...

(1917–1992), British philanthropist *

Leonard Doroftei Leonard Dorin Doroftei (, also known as ''Leonard Dorin''; born 10 April 1970) is a Romanian former boxer, the WBA Lightweight World Champion from 5 January 2002 to 24 October 2003. Amateur highlights Doroftei took up boxing at the age of 14 ...

(born 1970), Romanian boxer *

Leonhard Euler Leonhard Euler ( , ; 15 April 170718 September 1783) was a Swiss mathematician, physicist, astronomer, geographer, logician and engineer who founded the studies of graph theory and topology and made pioneering and influential discoveries in ma ...

(1707–1783), Swiss mathematician *Leonardo Fibonacci (c. 1170 – after 1240), Italian mathematician *Leonard Fairley (born 1951), American football player *Leonard Fournette (born 1995), American football player *Leonhard Fuchs (1501–1566), German physician and natural historian *Leonard Hackney (1855–1938), Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court *Leonard Hoffmann, Baron Hoffmann (born 1934), British judge *Leonard Humphries (born 1970), American football player *Leonard Labatt (1838–1897), Swedish tenor *Leonard Lance (born 1952), American politician *Leonard Lansink (born 1956), German actor *Lenny Kravitz, Leonard "Lenny" Kravitz (born 1964), American singer and songwriter *Leonard M. Kravitz (1931–1951), American soldier and Medal of Honor recipient *Leonard Francis Lindoy (born 1937), Australian chemist *Leonard Livingston (1920–1998), Australian cricketer *Leonard Maltin (born 1950), American film critic and film historian *Leonard Mlodinow (born 1954), American physicist and writer *Leonard Nimoy (1931–2015), American actor and film director *Leonard of Noblac (died 559), Frankish nobleman *Leonard Peikoff (born 1933), Canadian philosopher *Leonard Peltier(born 1944), American Activist *Leonard Pitts (born 1957), American journalist *Leonard of Port Maurice (1676–1751), Italian saint *A. C. L. Ratwatte, Abeyratne Cudah Leonard Ratwatte (1909-1971), Sri Lankan Sinhala politician and diplomat *Leonard Roberts (born 1972), American actor *Lennie Rosenbluth, Leonard "Lennie" Rosenbluth (born 1933), American basketball player *Leonard Rosenman (1924–2008), American composer *Leonard Rossiter (1926–1984), English actor *Lenny Bruce, Leonard Alfred Schneider (1925–1966), AKA Lenny Bruce, American stand-up comedian, social critic, & satirist *Leonard Silverman (1930–2015), New York politician and judge *Leonard Slatkin (born 1944), American conductor *Leonard Steinberg, Baron Steinberg (1936–2009), British businessman *Leonard Stone (1923–2011), American actor *Leonard Sumner, indigenous Canadian singer-songwriter *Leonard Susskind (born 1940), American theoretical physicist *Leonard Thompson (footballer) (1901–1968), British football player *Leonard Merlyn Wickramasuriya (1916-2002), Sri Lankan Sinhala army brigadier *Leonard Woolley (1880–1960), British archaeologist *Leonard Wong, American military writer *Leonard Wu, American actor, writer and producer

Surname

A–F

* Ada Leonard (1915–1997), American bandleader * Adam Leonard (singer-songwriter), English singer-songwriter * Adna Wright Leonard, Methodist Bishop of Buffalo NY * André-Joseph Léonard, Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels * Andrew Leonard, American technology journalist * Andy Leonard, baseball * Benny Leonard (born Benjamin Leiner; "The Ghetto Wizard", 1896–1947), American world champion Hall of Fame lightweight boxer * Bill Leonard (politician), American politician * Bobby Leonard (1932–2021), American basketball coach * Brendon Leonard, rugby union * Brian Leonard, American football * Buck Leonard, baseball * Cecil Leonard, American football * Chuck Leonard (1937–2004), radio * Conrad Leonard (1898–2003), pianist * Cynthia Leonard, suffragist * Deane Leonard (born 1999), American football player * Dennis Leonard, baseball * Dick Leonard, British politician * Dutch Leonard (left-handed pitcher) (Hubert Benjamin Leonard), baseball * Dutch Leonard (right-handed pitcher) (Emil John Leonard), baseball * Edwin Leonard, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient * Ego Leonard, anonymous Dutch sculptor, painter, guerrilla artist * Elijah Leonard, Canadian politician * Elizabeth Weeks Leonard, American professor * Elmore Leonard (1925–2013), American novelist * Emery Clarence Leonard, American botanist * Fred Churchill Leonard, American politician * Frederick C. Leonard, American astronomer

G–L

* Gary Leonard, basketball * George Leonard (1923–2010), American author * Glenn Leonard (born 1947), American musician * Gloria Leonard (1940–2014), actress * Graham Leonard, Anglican Bishop converted to Catholicism * Gustav Leonhardt (1928–2012), Dutch musician, conductor, musicologist * Harlan Leonard (1905–1983), American jazz musician * Harry Ward Leonard, inventor * Herman Leonard, photographer * Hookey Leonard, Scottish professional footballer * Hubert Léonard (1819–1890), Belgian violinist * Hugh Leonard (1926–2009), Irish playwright * Isabel Leonard (born 1982), American operatic mezzo-soprano * J. Paul Leonard (1901–1995), American university president, educator * J. Rich Leonard, American judge * Jack E. Leonard, comedian * Jacqueline Leonard, Scottish actress * James A. Leonard, American chess player * Jason Leonard (born 1968), English rugby union player * Jeffrey Leonard (born 1955), American baseball player * Jerris Leonard, American politician * Jim Leonard, American football * Jimmy Leonard, Irish politician * Joe Leonard, motorsports * John J. Leonard, mayor of Bolingbrook, Illinois * John Leonard (critic) (1939–2008), American critic, pen name Cyclops * John Leonard (Gaelic footballer) (born 1976), Gaelic football goalkeeper * John Leonard (poet) (born 1965), Australian poet * Johnny Leonard, Australian rules football * Joseph John Henry Leonard (1863–1929), Australian illustrator * Joshua Leonard (born 1975), actor * Justin Leonard (born 1972), American golfer * Kawhi Leonard (born 1991), American basketball player * Larry Leonard, American politician * Lee Leonard (born 1929), US TV personality * Louise Wareham Leonard, American author

M–Z

* Marion Leonard (1881–1956), actress * Mark Leonard (footballer), association football * Marshall Leonard, soccer player * Matthew Leonard (1929–1967), Medal of Honor recipient * Meyers Leonard (born 1992), American basketball player * Michael Leonard (disambiguation), several people * Miriam Leonard, British professor of Greek literature * Patricia Leonard (1936–2010), English opera singer * Patrick James Leonard, Medal of Honor recipient * Patrick Leonard (born 1956), American songwriter * Patrick Thomas Leonard, Indian Wars Medal of Honor recipient * Paul Leonard (politician), American politician * Paul Leonard (writer), UK author * Philippe Léonard, soccer * Priscilla Leonard, pen name for Emily Perkins Bissell, an American social worker and activist * Rick Leonard, American football * Robert A. Leonard, American linguist known for his forensic work and former singer for Sha Na Na * Robert Maynard Leonard (1869–1941), English journalist and editor * Robert Sean Leonard (born 1969), actor * Robert Z. Leonard (1889–1968), director * Ronald Leonard, cellist * Sarah Leonard (archer), archery * Scott Leonard (born 1965), American musician * Shaquille Leonard, American football * Sheldon Leonard (1907–1997), American film and TV producer * Silvio Leonard (born 1955), Cuban sprinter * Sonny Leonard (1943–2021), American businessman * Stan Leonard (1915–2005), Canadian golfer * Stephen B. Leonard, American politician * Steve Leonard (born 1972), English TV personality * Sugar Ray Leonard (born 1956), American boxer * Thomas Arthur Leonard, English pioneer of outdoor holidays * Tom Leonard (Irish politician) * Tom Leonard (poet) (born 1944), Scottish poet * Tony Leonard (born 1947), Australian radio presenter * Turney W. Leonard, Medal of Honor recipient * Vincent Leonard, Bishop of Pittsburgh * William E. Leonard, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient * William Ellery Leonard (1876–1944), American poet * William J. Leonard, American football * William Leonard (Scottish politician) * Wrexie Leonard, American astronomer * Leonard (baseball), first name unknown, played in one Major League Baseball game in 1892

Fictional characters

* Anatole Leonard, in the ''Robotech'' series * Leonard (demon), in the ''Dictionnaire Infernal'' * Léonard (comics), Léonard, title character in the Belgian comic of the same name * Leonard, a character from ''Total Drama: Pahkitew Island'' and ''The Ridonculous Race'' * Lennie Briscoe, Leonard W. "Lennie" Briscoe, a detective in ''Law & Order'' * Church (Red vs. Blue), Private Leonard Church, from ''Red vs. Blue'' * Leonard Hofstadter, in ''The Big Bang Theory'' * Leonard von Lahnstein, character from German soap opera ''Forbidden Love'' * Lenny and Carl#Lenny Leonard, Lenny Leonard, in ''The Simpsons'' * Lockie Leonard, in children's novels by Tim Winton * Leonard McCoy, in the ''Star Trek'' series * King Leonard Mudbeard, a ruler of Piggy Island and antagonist of ''The Angry Birds Movie'' * Leonard Rollins, a character in ''Silver Spoons#Cast, Silver Spoons'' * Lennie Small, in the novel ''Of Mice and Men'' * Leonard Smith, a character in the American sitcom ''It's Garry Shandling's Show#Cast and characters, It's Garry Shandling's Show'' * Leonard Snart, Captain Cold from ''The Flash comics'' and TV series * Lenny Summers, a character from ''Red Dead Redemption 2''

References

{{given name, type=both English-language masculine given names English masculine given names Masculine given names English-language surnames