Leonard

Leonard or Leo is a common English, German, Irish, and Dutch masculine given name and a surname.

For other uses, see Leonard (disambiguation).

The given name and surname originate from the Old High German 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 period, known as the patron saint of prisoners.[1]

Leonard is also an Irish origin surname, from the Gaelic O'Leannain also found as O'Leonard, but often was anglicsed to just Leonard,[2] consisting of the prefix O ("descendant of") and the suffix Leannan ("lover"). The oldest public records of the surname appear in 1272 in Huntingdonshire, England, and in 1479 in Ulm, Germany.[3]

Variations

The name has variants in other languages:[4]

In other languages

Given name
Leonard
Pronunciation/ˈlɛnərd/ LEN-ərd
GenderMasculine
Origin
Meaning"lion strength"
Region of originEngland

Surname
Leonard
Origin
Meaning"lion,strong"; "lion-hearted"
Region of originOld High German; Gaelic

A–F

G–L

M–Z

Fictional characters

See also

References
  1. "Leonard – name meaning and origin". thinkbabynames.com. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
  2. https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=o%20leonard
  3. "Surname Database: Leonard Last Name Origin". The Internet Surname Database. Retrieved 2020-03-23.
  4. "Surname: Leonard". surnamedb.com. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
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