Lionel

Lionel is the French diminutive of the French Léon. Leon comes from the Greek “leon” (λεων) meaning “lion”. The Latin equivalent is Leo; the two names are considered interchangeable at this point. The name Leon has been common among Jewish people owing to Genesis 49:9 when Jacob (just prior to his death) gathers his twelve sons for his final blessing and foretells their respective futures. To his fourth son Judah he said: “Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up…who dares rouse him?” The Kingdom of Judah became one of the two Jewish states (the other being the Kingdom of Israel) around the 10th century B.C. and is where the royal line of David ruled (the capital being Jerusalem). The lion therefore became an important symbol to the Jews. Aside from the Jewish connection, Leonidas I was a 5th century B.C. King of Sparta admired for his bravery and leadership, and believed to be descended from Hercules. The “Leo” names have also been readily adopted by Western Christians since medieval times, as well, given the fact that thirteen Popes assumed the Leo name (starting with the 5th century Bishop of Rome, Leo the Great, who famously persuaded Attila the Hun to withdraw from his planned attack on Rome). Lastly, Sir Lionel was one of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table, the legends of which were popularized throughout Europe in the 12th century (see literary references below). The lion is a powerful and regal animal so it’s no wonder why many people of many different languages have chosen this name for their sons. Leon is the most common spelling around the world and enjoys widespread usage in places like Croatia, Austria, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, France, Bosnia and Herzegovina. American parents in the United States prefer the Italian Leonardo. Not many people use the Lionel spelling anymore.