Leonard
Leonard or Leo is a common English, German, Irish, and Dutch 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, 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.[2]
Variations
The name has variants in other languages:[3]
- Leen, Leendert, Lenard (Dutch)
- Lehnertz, Lehnert (Luxembourgish)
- Len (English)
- hu:Lénárd (Hungarian)
- Lenart (disambiguation) (Czech, Slovene)
- Lennard, diminutive forms Lenny
- Lennart (Swedish, Estonian, Dutch)
- Lennert (German, Dutch)
- Lenni (Finnish)
- Lenno (Groningen)
- Lenny (English)
- Leo (many languages)
- Leon (English, German, Dutch, Russian)
- Léon (French), León (Spanish)
- Léonard ([leɔnaʁ]; French)
- Leonard = "Renata" in Maori, Waitaha
- Leonardo (Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese)
- Leonhard, Leonhardt (German)
- Leontxo (Basque)
- O'Leannáin
- O'Lionaird
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
- Maori: Renātā
- Polish: Leonard
- Portuguese: Leonardo
- Russian: Леонард (Leonard)
- Serbian: Леонард (Leonard)
- Spanish: Leonardo
- Swedish: Lennart
Given name
Pronunciation | /ˈlɛnərd/ LEN-ərd |
---|---|
Gender | Masculine |
Origin | |
Meaning | "lion strength" |
Region of origin | England |
- Leonard Adleman (born 1945), American computer scientist
- Léonard Autié (1751–1820), French hairdresser
- 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 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 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 Pitts (born 1957), American journalist
- Leonard of Port Maurice (1676–1751), Italian saint
- Leonard Roberts (born 1972), American actor
- Leonard "Lennie" Rosenbluth (born 1933), 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 Susskind (born 1940), American theoretical physicist
- Leonard Thompson (footballer) (1901–1968), British football player
- Leonard Woolley (1880–1960), British archaeologist
- Leonard Wong, American military writer
Surname
Origin | |
---|---|
Meaning | "lion,strong"; "lion-hearted" |
Region of origin | Old High German; Gaelic |
Film, radio, television
- Chuck Leonard (1937–2004), radio
- Gloria Leonard (1940–2014), actress
- Jason Leonard (born 1968), English rugby union player
- John Leonard (critic) (1939–2008), American critic, pen name Cyclops
- Joshua Leonard (born 1975), actor
- Lee Leonard (born 1929), US TV personality
- Marion Leonard (1881–1956), actress
- Mike Leonard (journalist) (born 1947), US TV personality
- Robert Sean Leonard (born 1969), actor
- Robert Z. Leonard (1889–1968), director
- Sheldon Leonard (1907–1997), American film and TV producer
- Steve Leonard (born 1972), English TV personality
- Tony Leonard (born 1947), Australian radio presenter
Literature
- Elmore Leonard (1925–2013), American novelist
- George Leonard (1923–2010), American author
- Hugh Leonard (1926–2009), Irish playwright
- John Leonard (poet) (born 1965), Australian poet
- Paul Leonard (writer), UK author
- Tom Leonard (poet) (born 1944), Scottish poet
- William Ellery Leonard (1876–1944), American poet
Military
- Edwin Leonard, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- Matthew Leonard, Medal of Honor recipient
- Patrick James Leonard, Medal of Honor recipient
- Patrick Thomas Leonard, Indian Wars Medal of Honor recipient
- Turney W. Leonard, Medal of Honor recipient
- William E. Leonard, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
Music
- Ada Leonard, American bandleader
- Adam Leonard (singer-songwriter), English singer-songwriter
- Conrad Leonard, pianist
- Glenn Leonard, American musician
- Gustav Leonhardt, Dutch musician, conductor, musicologist
- Harlan Leonard, American jazz musician
- Hubert Léonard, Belgian violinist
- Isabel Leonard (born 1982), American operatic mezzo-soprano
- Matthew Leonard, English musician
- Patricia Leonard, English opera singer
- Patrick Leonard, American songwriter
- Ronald Leonard, cellist
- Scott Leonard, American musician
Politics
- Bill Leonard (politician), American politician
- Dick Leonard, British politician
- Elijah Leonard, Canadian politician
- Fred Churchill Leonard, American politician
- J. Rich Leonard, American judge
- Jerris Leonard, American politician
- Jimmy Leonard, Irish politician
- John J. Leonard, mayor of Bolingbrook, Illinois
- Larry Leonard, American politician
- Paul Leonard (politician), American politician
- Stephen B. Leonard, American politician
- Tom Leonard (Irish politician)
- William Leonard (British politician)
Sports
- Andy Leonard, baseball
- Benny Leonard (born Benjamin Leiner; "The Ghetto Wizard", 1896–1947), American world champion Hall of Fame lightweight boxer
- Bobby Leonard (born 1932), American basketball coach
- Brendon Leonard, rugby union
- Brian Leonard, American football
- Buck Leonard, baseball
- Cecil Leonard, American football
- Darius Leonard, American football
- Dennis Leonard, baseball
- Dutch Leonard (left-handed pitcher) (Hubert Benjamin Leonard), baseball
- Dutch Leonard (right-handed pitcher) (Emil John Leonard), baseball
- Gary Leonard, basketball
- Hookey Leonard, Scottish professional footballer
- Jason Leonard (born 1968), English rugby union player
- Jeffrey Leonard (born 1955), American baseball player
- Jim Leonard, American football
- Joe Leonard, motorsports
- John Leonard (Gaelic footballer) (born 1976), Gaelic football goalkeeper
- Johnny Leonard, Australian rules football
- Justin Leonard (born 1972), American golfer
- Kawhi Leonard (born 1991), American basketball player
- Mark Leonard (footballer), association football
- Marshall Leonard, soccer
- Meyers Leonard (born 1992), American basketball player
- Michael Leonard (field hockey), field hockey
- Philippe Léonard, soccer
- Rick Leonard, American football
- Sarah Leonard, archery
- Silvio Leonard (born 1955), Cuban sprinter
- Stan Leonard, golf
- Sugar Ray Leonard (born 1956), American boxer
- William J. Leonard, American football
- Leonard (baseball), first name unknown, played in one Major League Baseball game in 1892
Other fields
- Adna Wright Leonard, Methodist Bishop of Buffalo NY
- André-Joseph Léonard, Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels
- Andrew Leonard, American technology journalist
- Cynthia Leonard, suffragist
- Elizabeth Weeks Leonard, American professor
- Emery Clarence Leonard, American botanist
- Frederick C. Leonard, American astronomer
- George Leonard, American lawyer
- Graham Leonard, Anglican Bishop converted to Catholicism
- Harry Ward Leonard, inventor
- Herman Leonard, photographer
- Jack E. Leonard, comedian
- James A. Leonard, American chess player
- Miriam Leonard, British professor of Greek literature
- Priscilla Leonard, pen name for Emily Perkins Bissell, an American social worker and activist
- Robert A. Leonard, American linguist known for his forensic work and former singer for Sha Na Na
- Thomas Arthur Leonard, English pioneer of outdoor holidays
- Vincent Leonard, Bishop of Pittsburgh
- Wrexie Leonard, American astronomer
Fictional characters
- Anatole Leonard, in the Robotech series
- Ego Leonard, anonymous Dutch sculptor, painter, guerrilla artist (oversized Lego figures)
- Lenny Leonard, in The Simpsons
- Lockie Leonard, in children's novels
- Léonard (comics), cartoon character by Turk & De Groot
- Leonard (demon), in the Dictionnaire Infernal
- Leonard Hofstadter, in The Big Bang Theory
- Lennie Briscoe, in Law & Order
- Private Leonard Church, from Red vs. Blue
- Leonard McCoy, in the Star Trek series
- Leonard von Lahnstein German soap opera character
- Leonard Snart, Captain Cold from The Flash comics and TV series
- Lennie, in the novel Of Mice and Men
- Leonard, a ruler of Piggy Island and antagonist of The Angry Birds Movie
- Leonard, a character from Total Drama: Pahkitew Island and The Ridonculous Race
See also
- Lenard, surname
- Saint Leonard (disambiguation)
- St Leonards (disambiguation)
References
- "Leonard - name meaning and origin". thinkbabynames.com. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
- "Surname Database: Leonard Last Name Origin". The Internet Surname Database. Retrieved 2020-03-23.
- "Surname: Leonard". surnamedb.com. Retrieved 2008-03-24.