What does Beau mean?
Beau comes directly from the French for “handsome” or “beautiful.”
What does Leon mean?
Léon comes from the Latin and Greek for “lion.”
Beau vs Leon
Which is more popular?
Beau is more popular than Leon today: about 5,165 US babies were given the name Beau in 2025, compared with 2,583 named Leon.
| Beau | Leon | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Handsome | Lion |
| Origin | French | French |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | BOH | lay-OHN |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1932 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (5,165) | 1924 (2,677) |
| In 2025 | 5,165 | 2,583 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Beau
Leon
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Beau | Leon |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 25,086 | 14,110 |
| 2010s | 17,768 | 11,768 |
| 2000s | 6,134 | 5,062 |
| 1990s | 5,617 | 5,176 |
| 1980s | 7,174 | 7,627 |
| 1970s | 3,145 | 9,854 |
| 1960s | 472 | 13,823 |
| 1950s | 123 | 21,341 |
| 1940s | 68 | 23,578 |
| 1930s | 5 | 23,005 |
| 1920s | 0 | 25,577 |
| 1910s | 0 | 15,280 |
| 1900s | 0 | 2,859 |
| 1890s | 0 | 2,103 |
| 1880s | 0 | 1,475 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Beau or Leon more popular?
Beau is more popular than Leon today: about 5,165 US babies were given the name Beau in 2025, compared with 2,583 named Leon.
What is the difference between Beau and Leon?
Beau means Handsome (French origin), while Leon means Lion (French origin).
Which name is older, Beau or Leon?
In US records, Beau first appears in 1932 and Leon in 1880, so Leon has the longer recorded history.