Leone
A surname from the word for “lion,” especially common in Italian and Spanish forms.
The #2,372 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 20,095 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Leone comes from the Latin leo, meaning “lion,” and entered surname use through the Italian and Spanish word leone. In origin it is a nickname or descriptive name, probably first applied to someone thought to be lionlike in strength, courage, or appearance. In some cases it may also reflect a devotional or emblematic use of the lion symbol rather than a literal personal trait.
History
The name is well established in Italy, and it also appears in Spanish-speaking regions and in diaspora communities. Older surname writers sometimes linked related forms such as Lyon or Lion to the same “lion” idea, especially in Jewish naming traditions, though those developments can be separate in individual cases. In the United States, Leone is strongly associated with Italian immigration and later spread through Italian-American families.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The Latin ablative leone is the form that appears in the phrase cor leone behind “heart of a lion,” a reminder of how widespread the lion image was in medieval and Renaissance naming.
From the historical record
“Ceeur-de-lion == Lion-Hearted [Lat. cor, heart ; <2e, of ; leone, abl. of leo, lion] QUYi (ScandO i a nickname from the Heifer [North. E. and Scot, guy : cp. Swed. gviga,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)