NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Leonna

Feminine variant of Leo or Leon, meaning "lioness" or "brave as a lion".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2017. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Leonna is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Leonna popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2017 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5765, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 8 births.

This profile covers 57 England and Wales registrations across 12 recorded years from 1996 to 2017. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 38% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 85 living people in the UK are called Leonna. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2018 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Leonna ranked #5765 for girls in England and Wales in 2017, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1997, when 8 girls were registered as Leonna.
  • Leonna ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #532 in 1999.
  • About 85 living people in the UK are estimated to have Leonna as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5765

2017

Births in 2017

3

Latest year

Peak year

1997

8 births

Estimated living

85

2026

Meaning

What does Leonna mean?

The name Leonna has its roots in the Greek language, originating from the word "leon," which means "lion." It is a feminine form of the male name Leon, and its origins can be traced back to ancient Greece during the classical era.

Historically, the name was closely associated with strength, courage, and nobility, as the lion was often regarded as a symbol of these qualities in Greek mythology. In some ancient texts, the name Leonna was used to refer to brave and valiant women who displayed remarkable fortitude in the face of adversity.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Leonna can be found in the writings of the ancient Greek historian Plutarch, who lived in the 1st century AD. He mentioned a woman named Leonna who was renowned for her bravery during a military conflict.

Throughout the ages, several notable women have borne the name Leonna. One of the most famous was Leonna of Burgundy (1163-1162), a noblewoman and the wife of King Richard I of England, also known as Richard the Lionheart. Another prominent figure was Leonna Vicario (1789-1842), a Mexican patriot and independence activist who played a crucial role in the Mexican War of Independence.

In the realm of literature, the name Leonna has been immortalized in works such as the novel "The Lions of Al-Rassan" by Guy Gavriel Kay, where a character named Leonna is depicted as a strong-willed and courageous woman. Additionally, the name has been used in various works of fiction and poetry, often symbolizing strength and determination.

Other notable individuals who have carried the name Leonna include Leonna Jennings (1911-1998), an American actress and singer, and Leonna Vicario (1789-1842), a Mexican patriot and independence activist.

While the name Leonna has undergone various spellings and variations throughout history, its connection to the lion and the qualities associated with this majestic animal have remained a constant thread, making it a name that evokes a sense of power, resilience, and nobility.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Leonna over time

The chart below shows babies named Leonna registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2017. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Leonna, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2017, compared with 8 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Leonna
02468199620062017

Decades

Leonna by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Leonna was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2010s #5765 3 1
2000s #3744 38 8
1990s #2830 16 3

Geography

Where Leonna is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Leonna. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Leonna ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #532 in 1999.

Scotland
4

Across the UK

Leonna in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#532 in 1999

7 years of NRS records, 29 total registered

Related

Names similar to Leonna

FAQ

Leonna: questions and answers

How popular is the name Leonna in the UK right now?

In 2017, Leonna was ranked #5765 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Leonna most popular?

The peak year on record was 1997, with 8 babies registered as Leonna in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Leonna?

Feminine variant of Leo or Leon, meaning "lioness" or "brave as a lion".

How many people are called Leonna in the UK?

A total of 57 babies have been registered as Leonna across the 12 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 29 more in Scotland.

Where is Leonna most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Leonna ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #532 in 1999. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.