Lionel: name meaning, origin & popularity
- Meaning
- “little lion”
- Origin
- French
- Say it
- LY-uh-nel · 3 syllables
- Used for
- Boys
From Old French Lionel, a diminutive of lion. It appears in medieval Arthurian tradition and has long been used in both French and English.
How popular is Lionel?
Babies named Lionel in 2024528
2024 rank#560 boys
Peak year2023
Total US babies since 188033,410
Lionel is rising: use over the last five years is 1.8× what it was a decade earlier.
Names like Lionel
Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.
Lionel questions
What does the name Lionel mean?
Lionel means "little lion". It comes from French. From Old French Lionel, a diminutive of lion. It appears in medieval Arthurian tradition and has long been used in both French and English.
Is Lionel a boy or girl name?
Lionel is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).
How popular is Lionel?
528 US babies were named Lionel in 2024. Its peak year was 2023.
How do you pronounce Lionel?
Lionel is usually pronounced LY-uh-nel.
Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.