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BabyNames
Boy name#125 of boy names

Leonard

Pronounced L EH1 N ER0 D (ARPABET)

  • 2 syllables
  • Peaked 1921
  • 145 years in use
  • 2 spellings
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How popular is Leonard?

Leonard is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 306,461 children — the 125th most common boys' name on record.

Its use has been broadly flat across the past two decades. Its best single year was 1921, when 5,847 children were given it.

Two other spellings are counted in that total — Lenard and Lennard — because they are pronounced identically.

02,5005,0007,50010,00018901920195019802010
1921Boys: 5,847Girls: 25

Spelling variants

These spellings sound identical to Leonard and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.

  • Lenard
  • Lennard

Nicknames

Common short forms: Lenny, Leo.

Characteristics

  • 2 syllables
Phonetic detail
Pronunciations:
L EH1 N ER0 D
Stress pattern:
10
Syllables:
2

Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.

Names like Leonard

Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.

Sibling names for Leonard

Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.

Frequently asked questions

How popular is the name Leonard?
Leonard ranks 125th among boys' names in US records, with 306,461 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 4,299.
Is Leonard a unisex name?
No. Leonard is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
When was Leonard most popular?
1921, when 5,847 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
What are common nicknames for Leonard?
Lenny, Leo. These are recorded as separate names in their own right, so each has its own page and its own popularity curve.
How else is Leonard spelled?
Lenard, Lennard. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.