Leo Name Meaning: What Does Leo Mean for a Cat?
Leo is the Latin word for “lion,” which makes it the natural crown for a small cat with a big-cat attitude. Short, strong and easy to call, it is a perennial top-10 cat name in the US.
Leo at a Glance
- Meaning
- lion
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- Latin leo
- Used for
- Male cats
- Style
- Classic, Cute
What Does the Name Leo Mean?
Leo means “lion.” The name traces back to Latin leo, and its origin is Latin. The meaning above is the verified literal one, not a personality guess, checked for this page against Behind the Name.
Short and regal; perennial top-10 US cat name.
Leo comes straight from Latin leo, the word for a lion, and it is a cognate of the Greek name Leon (Behind the Name). The name was popular among early Christians, and its church and royal history is long: fourteen popes have borne it, including Saint Leo the Great in the 5th century, alongside six Byzantine emperors and five Armenian kings.
The most famous literary Leo is the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (1828 to 1910), author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Leo is also a constellation and the fifth sign of the zodiac. In English it is said LEE-oh, /ˈliː.oʊ/, and in German and Danish closer to LEH-oh, /ˈleː.o/. Behind the Name records it at number 3 in England and Wales in 2025, number 19 in the United States and number 6 in New Zealand.
More Names Like Leo
You can browse Leo alongside hundreds of other verified names in these lists, or spin the cat name generator for fresh ideas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the name Leo mean?
Leo means “lion.” It comes from Latin leo.
Is Leo a good name for a male cat?
Yes, Leo is listed for male cats in our name database, and its meaning (“lion”) gives the name real substance. At just a few letters, it is easy to say, easy to call across a room, and quick for a cat to learn.
Where can I find more names like Leo?
Leo appears in our 384 Boy Cat Names and 219 Cute Cat Names lists, and the full cat names hub gathers every collection in one place.
How many popes have been named Leo?
Fourteen, according to Behind the Name. The best known is Saint Leo the Great, the 5th-century pope who asserted the authority of the Roman bishops over all others.
Is Leo short for another name?
It can be. Behind the Name notes that Leo sometimes serves as a short form of longer names beginning with Leo, such as Leonard, but it has stood on its own since Roman times.
By Brianna Baxter
Meaning and origin verified against Behind the Name.