León
A surname usually meaning “lion,” though in some cases it may be locational, especially from places named León.
The #363 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,575 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is most often traced to Latin leo, “lion,” which passed into French, Spanish, and Italian forms such as Leon and leone. In surname use, it could function as a nickname for someone thought to be lion-like, or as a surname taken from a place name such as León in Spain or St Pol de Léon in Brittany. Older writers also treated it simply as a continental form of the word for lion.
History
The surname appears in medieval records in several European settings, including English documents that preserve forms like Leon and Leonis. Because the same spelling can represent both a descriptive name and a locational byname, its history is mixed rather than single-origin. In modern usage it is found widely in Spanish-speaking countries, France, Italy, and the English-speaking world.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same root behind Leon also appears in heraldry and royal symbolism, where the lion was a favored emblem of strength and courage.
From the historical record
“[Fr. /', the + empereur, Lat. imperator\ LEON (Fr.) Lion [Lat. leon-em, aceus. of lea, lion ; whence Fr. //objm,' leonine] LIEBMAN(N 1 (Ger.) Beloved Man [Ger. LIEPMAN(N l/ieJ, M.H.Ger. Hep. O.H.Ger. LIPMAN(N J Hob, dear, beloved + M.H.Ger. O.H.Ger. man{n\ LOEWE 1 (Ger.) Lion [Ger. lowe, M.H.Ger.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)