Leonard

Leonard
Origin
Meaning	"lion,strong"; "lion-hearted"
Region of origin	Old High German; Gaelic

Leonard
Pronunciation	/ˈlɛnərd/ LEN-ərd
Gender	Male
Origin
Meaning	"lion strength"
Region of origin	England

Leonard or Leo is a common English masculine given name and a surname.

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 anglicised 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]

Anard/Nardu/Lewnardu/Leunardu (Maltese)
Leen, Leendert, Lenard (Dutch)
Lehnertz, Lehnert (Luxembourgish)
Len (English)
Lénárd (Hungarian)
Lenart (disambiguation) (Slovene)
Linhart (Czech)
Lennard, diminutive forms Lenny
Lennart (Swedish, Estonian, Dutch)
Lennert (German, Dutch)
Lev (Ukrainian)
Lenni (Finnish)
Lenno (Groningen)
Lenny (English)
Leo (many languages)
Leon (English, German, Dutch, Russian, Polish)
Léon (French), León (Spanish)
Léonard ([leɔnaʁ]; French)
Leonard = "Renata" in Māori, Waitaha
Leonardo (Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese)
Leonhard, Leonhardt (German)
Leontxo (Basque)
O'Leannáin
O'Lionaird
Leòmhannard (Scottish Gaelic)
Linard (Rhaeto-Romanic / Swiss)
Lionard (Scottish Gaelic)

In other languages

Armenian: Լեոնարդ (Leonard)
Croatian: Leonard
Czech: Leonard
French: Léonard
Georgian: ლეონარდ (Leonard)
German: Leonard, Leonhard, Leonhardt, Lennart
Greek: Λεονάρδος (Leonárdos)
Hebrew: לֵב־אֲרִי (Lév-Ari)
Hungarian: Lénárd, Leonárd
Italian: Leonardo
Latvian: Linards
Lithuanian: Leonardas
Māori: Renātā
Maltese: Nardu
Polish: Leonard
Portuguese: Leonardo
Romanian: Leonard
Russian: Леонард (Leonard)
Serbian: Леонард (Leonard)
Spanish: Leonardo
Swedish: Lennart
Yiddish: לעאָנאַרד (Leonard)
Ukrainian: Лев (Lev)

Given name

Leonard Adleman (born 1945), American computer scientist
Léonard Autié (1751–1820), French hairdresser
Leonard Baskin (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 (1934–2016), Canadian singer-songwriter
Leonard Cheshire (1917–1992), British philanthropist
Leonard Doroftei (born 1970), Romanian boxer
Leonhard Euler (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 Harsh (1801–1866), American politician from Ohio
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
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 Marchand (1933–2016), Canadian politician
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
Leonard Roberts (born 1972), American actor
Leonard "Lennie" Rosenbluth (1933–2022), American basketball player
Leonard Rosenman (1924–2008), American composer
Leonard Rossiter (1926–1984), English actor
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 Taylor (disambiguation), multiple people
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
Brad Leonard (born 1979), New Zealand cricketer
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 Leonard (disambiguation), several people
Jason Leonard (born 1968), English rugby union player
Jeffrey Leonard (born 1955), American baseball player
Jerris Leonard, American politician
Jim Leonard (disambiguation), several people
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 (1929–2018), 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
Minnetta Sammis Leonard (1879 – 1960), American educator
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
Ranginui Parewahawaha Leonard (1872-1984), New Zealand weaver, farmer and kuia
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
Ryan Leonard (ice hockey) (born 2005), American ice hockey player
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) (1944–2018), 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, title character in the Belgian comic of the same name
Leonard, a character from Total Drama: Pahkitew Island and The Ridonculous Race
Leonard W. "Lennie" Briscoe, a detective in Law & Order
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 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
Leonard Shelby, main character in the movie Memento
Lennie Small, in the novel Of Mice and Men
Leonard Smith, a character in the American sitcom It's Garry Shandling's Show
Leonard Snart, Captain Cold from The Flash comics and TV series
Leonard "Lenny" Summers, a character from Red Dead Redemption 2

References

^ "Leonard – name meaning and origin". thinkbabynames.com. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
^ "O Leonard Name Meaning & O Leonard Family History at Ancestry.com®". www.ancestry.com. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
^ "Surname Database: Leonard Last Name Origin". The Internet Surname Database. Retrieved 2020-03-23.
^ "Surname: Leonard". surnamedb.com. Retrieved 2008-03-24.

This page or section lists people that share the same given name or the same family name.
If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.

[1] "Leonard – name meaning and origin". thinkbabynames.com. Retrieved 2008-03-24.

[2] "O Leonard Name Meaning & O Leonard Family History at Ancestry.com®". www.ancestry.com. Retrieved 2021-08-23.

[The_Internet_Surname_Database-3] "Surname Database: Leonard Last Name Origin". The Internet Surname Database. Retrieved 2020-03-23.

[db-4] "Surname: Leonard". surnamedb.com. Retrieved 2008-03-24.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

Origin
Pronunciation	/ˈlɛnərd/ LEN-ərd
Gender	Male
Meaning	"lion strength"
Region of origin	England