| Leon | Paul | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Lion | Small, humble |
| Origin | French | French |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | lay-OHN | POL |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1924 (2,677) | 1957 (27,012) |
| In 2025 | 2,583 | 1,316 |
| Trend | Rising | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Leon | Paul |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 14,110 | 8,125 |
| 2010s | 11,768 | 19,030 |
| 2000s | 5,062 | 30,964 |
| 1990s | 5,176 | 58,931 |
| 1980s | 7,627 | 104,397 |
| 1970s | 9,854 | 136,390 |
| 1960s | 13,823 | 242,503 |
| 1950s | 21,341 | 253,202 |
| 1940s | 23,578 | 183,364 |
| 1930s | 23,005 | 125,774 |
| 1920s | 25,577 | 132,384 |
| 1910s | 15,280 | 78,216 |
| 1900s | 2,859 | 12,636 |
| 1890s | 2,103 | 8,181 |
| 1880s | 1,475 | 4,196 |
Léon comes from the Latin and Greek for “lion.”
Paul comes from the Latin Paulus, “small, humble.” The apostle Paul — originally Saul of Tarsus — became one of the foundational figures of Christianity, spreading the name across the world.
Leon is more popular than Paul today: about 2,583 US babies were given the name Leon in 2025, compared with 1,316 named Paul.
Leon means Lion (French origin), while Paul means Small, humble (French origin).
In US records, Leon first appears in 1880 and Paul in 1880, so Leon has the longer recorded history.