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