Leon (given name)

Leon is a first name of Greek origin-the Greek λέων (léon; leōn), meaning "lion," has spawned the Latin "Leo," French "Lyon," Irish "Leon" and Spanish "León." Perhaps the oldest attested historical figure to bear this name was Leon of Sparta, a 5th-century BCE king of Sparta, while in Greek mythology Leon was a Giant killed by Heracles. During the Christian era Leon was merged with the Latin cognate Leo, with the result that the two forms are used interchangeably.[1] A similar Greek name to Leon is Leonidas, meaning "son of a lion", with Leonidas I, king of Sparta, being perhaps the most famous bearer of that name.

Leon (English, German, Dutch, Russian version) or Léon (French version) or León (Spanish version) may refer to:

Etymology

Ancient Greek λέων from Proto-Semitic *labiʾ- (not Indo-European).

People

See also

References
  1. Withycombe, E.G. (1945) The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, 3rd edition, Oxford University Press
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