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“Variant of Lionel — Little lion” — Latin origin
Boy's name · #350 in the US (2025) · 2020s
Leonel is near its high-water mark: it reached #308 in 2023 and still ranked #350 in 2025. About 27,000 boys have carried it since 1910.
Around the world: about 1 in 1,200 boys in Puerto Rico (2025) · about 1 in 1,700 boys in Sweden (2025) · about 1 in 3,300 boys in Norway (2025).
Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 34 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.
Among 267 notable people named Leonel:
Sports figures appear 2.38× more often than among typical names — e.g. Leonel Sánchez, Chilean footballer.
Similar names: Lionel · Cruz · Leonidas · Maximiliano · Leonardo · Raphael
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