Leonardo
A surname and given name from the Latin word for “lion,” ultimately meaning “lion-like” or “brave as a lion.”
The #5,766 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 51,398 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Leonardo comes from the old personal name Leonardo, which was borrowed into Italian from Latin Leonardus. The deeper root is the Latin word leo, meaning “lion,” plus a Germanic element commonly taken in medieval Latin as -hard/-ard, giving the sense “lion-strong” or “lion-hearted.” As a surname, it is usually patronymic: it began as a family name taken from an ancestor’s given name.
History
The name is famous through Leonardo da Vinci, which helped keep it recognizable across Europe. In Italian and other Romance-language communities, it has often functioned first as a given name and then as a hereditary surname. In English-speaking countries, Leonardo is also found among immigrant families, especially those of Italian descent.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Despite its Italian look, the name’s deeper roots are mixed: a Latin lion word joined to a Germanic name element that became fashionable in medieval Europe.
From the historical record
“The Christian names borne by well-known Italians, such as Alberto, Arnolfo, Bernardo, Carlo, Enrico, Federigo (Frederic), Francesco, Leonardo, Luigi, Ludo- vico, Mainardo, Odoardo (Edward), Ridolphi, Sinibaldo, Ugo (Hugo or Hugh), Onofrio (Humphrey), all of German origin, sufficiently attest this to have been the…”
— Surnames as a Science