Leonard (name)
Leonard is a common English language masculine given name and a surname.
The given name and surname originate from the Old High German Leonhard containing the prefix levon ("lion") and the suffix hardu ("brave" or "hardy"). The name has come to mean "lion strength", "lion-strong", or "lion-hearted". It may also be from the Latin Leo ("lion"). Leonard was the name of a Saint in the Middle Ages period, known as the patron saint of prisoners.[1]
Leonard is also an Irish origin surname, from the Gaelic O'Leannain, consisting of the prefix O ("descendant of") and the suffix Leannan ("lover"). The oldest public records of the surname appear in 1272 in Huntingdonshire, England, and in 1479 in Ulm, Germany.[2]
Variations
The name has variants in other languages:[2]
In other languages
People with the name or its variants include:
Given name
| Leonard |
| Pronunciation |
/ˈlɛnərd/ len-ərd |
| Gender |
Masculine |
| Origin |
| Meaning |
"lion strength" |
| Region of origin |
England |
- Leonard of Vinci, polymath
- Leonard of Blakemore, Saint
- Leonard of Chios, 15th century Bishop
- Leonard of Noblac, Frankish nobleman
- Leonard of Pisa
- Leonard of Port Maurice
- Leonard Bernstein, American conductor and composer
- Leonard Cohen, Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist
- Leonard Francis Lindoy, Australian macrocyclic and metallo-supramolecular chemist
- Leonard "Len" Graham, Irish folk singer
- Leonard Hoffmann, Baron Hoffmann, British law lord
- Leonard Livingston, Australian cricketer
- Leonard Maltin, American film critic and film historian
- Leonard Nimoy, American actor and film director
- Leonard Slatkin, American conductor
- Leonard Steinberg, Baron Steinberg (1936–2009), British businessman
- Leonard Thompson, British professional footballer
- Leonard Wong, American military professor and author
Surname
| Leonard |
| Family name |
| Meaning |
"lion,strong"; "lion-hearted" |
| Region of origin |
Old High German; Gaelic |
Film, radio, television
- Baylen Leonard, radio
- Brendan Leonard, US TV personality
- Chuck Leonard, radio
- Gloria Leonard, actress
- Jason Leonard, English rugby union player
- John Leonard, critic
- Joshua Leonard, actor
- Lachlan "Lockie" Leonard, main character in Tim Winton's Lockie Leonard books
- Lee Leonard, US TV personality
- Marion Leonard, actress
- Mike Leonard, US TV personality
- Robert Sean Leonard, actor
- Robert Z. Leonard, director
- Sheldon Leonard, film producer
- Steve Leonard, English TV personality
- Tony Leonard, Australian radio presenter
Literature
Military
Music
- Adam Leonard, English singer-songwriter
- Conrad Leonard, pianist
- Glenn Leonard, American musician
- Gustav Leonhardt, Dutch musician, conductor, musicologist
- Harlan Leonard, American jazz musician
- Hubert Léonard, Belgian violinist
- Len Leonard, American musician
- Matthew Leonard, English musician
- Patricia K. Leonard, American Composer
- Patricia Leonard, English opera singer
- Patrick Leonard, American songwriter
- Ronald Leonard, cellist
- Scott Leonard, American musician
Politics
- Bill Leonard, American politician
- Elijah Leonard, Canadian politician
- Fred Churchill Leonard, American politician
- J. Rich Leonard, American judge
- Jerris Leonard, American politician
- Jimmy Leonard, Irish politician
- John J. Leonard, mayor of Bolingbrook, Illinois
- Julia Leonard, British councillor
- Paul Leonard (politician), American politician
- Richard Leonard, British politician
- Stephen B. Leonard, American politician
- Tom Leonard (Irish politician)
Sports
- Andy Leonard, baseball
- Benny Leonard (Benjamin Leiner; "The Ghetto Wizard"), American world champion Hall of Fame lightweight boxer
- Bobby Leonard, basketball
- Brendon Leonard, rugby union
- Brian Leonard, American football
- Buck Leonard, baseball
- Dennis Leonard, baseball
- Dutch Leonard (left-handed pitcher) (Hubert Benjamin Leonard), baseball
- Dutch Leonard (right-handed pitcher) (Emil John Leonard), baseball
- Everett Leonard, archery
- Gary Leonard, basketball
- Hookey Leonard, Scottish professional footballer
- Jason Leonard, rugby union
- Jeffrey Leonard, baseball
- Jim Leonard, American football
- Joe Leonard, motorsports
- John Leonard (footballer), Gaelic football
- Johnny Leonard, Australian rules football
- Justin Leonard, golf
- Mark Leonard (footballer), association football
- Marshall Leonard, soccer
- Michael Leonard, field hockey
- Philippe Léonard, soccer
- Silvio Leonard, athletics
- Stan Leonard, golf
- Sugar Ray Leonard, boxing
- William J. Leonard, American football
Other fields
- Adna Wright Leonard, Methodist Bishop of Buffalo NY
- Andrew Paul Leonard, photographer
- Cynthia Leonard, suffragist
- Dylan John Leonard, Labelled as Most Amazing Person in the world
- Emery Clarence Leonard, American botanist
- Frederick C. Leonard, astrophysicist
- George Leonard, American lawyer
- Graham Leonard, Anglican Bishop converted to Catholicism
- Harry Ward Leonard, inventor
- Herman Leonard, photographer
- Jack E. Leonard, comedian
- Vincent Leonard, Bishop of Pittsburgh
Fictional characters
- Anatole Leonard, in the Robotech series
- Lenny Leonard, in The Simpsons
- Lockie Leonard, in children's novels
- Léonard (comics), cartoon character by Turk & De Groot
- Leonard (demon), in the Dictionnaire Infernal
- Leonard Hofstadter, in The Big Bang Theory
- Leonard Briscoe, in Law and Order
- Private Leonard Church, from Red vs. Blue
- Leonard McCoy, in the Star Trek series
- Leonard Meryll, from the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Yeomen of the Guard
- Leonard of Quirm, in the Discworld novels
References
See also