It’s commonly used in Brazil as a nickname for Leonardo and Leandro, but may also be a short form of less common names that also start with “Leo”, such as Leônidas, Leon, Leocádia and Leonor(a). As of the past few years, it’s becoming increasingly popular as a stand-alone name for boys, following the trend of “nicknames as full names” that’s happening in the country. [noted -ed]
The name is becoming very common. Most countries in which it is used in have seen large increases in usage of this name. Particularly in the United States.The name in the United States has consistently risen since 2007. In the space of about 4 years, it has risen from 91st to 40th in the US. The rise is even more pronounced when you look at the Social Security data which shows that in 2000, 656 male Leo names were given, whereas currently that number has accelerated to 7454 male names. This is more than 10 times the usage in 2000.Even the feminine form of the name has seen an increase. There is no data for the year 2000 for the feminine form, but in 1995 5 female names were given. In 2019, it is 22. This may not seem like that large of an increase, but 1933 was the last time it surpassed that number, with 23 recorded usages of the name.Whether the acceleration will begin to slow, is not known. At the moment, that is very unlikely. Yearly increases in the name have slowed slightly, but certainly nothing of concern. Therefore, it seems likely this trajectory will continue for some time.
In 2018, 2 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Leo* who is registered male with the Social Security Administration. It is the 533rd most common male first name for living U.S. citizens. *as a first name, not a nickname.
― Anonymous User 10/8/2018
3
Also a pet form of Leonardo or Leonard or Leonarda.
― Anonymous User 10/6/2017
2
It's also a Finnish name. Nameday June 28th. [noted -ed]