To think "Leo" isn't necessarily short for anything else?

[Caff2]

just that...

[Caff2]

There are, in fact, 13 popes called Leo, with Leo 1 also being Saint Leo, or Leo the Great, or Leo Magnus. The last one died in 1903, so it's not exactly new fangled or non traditional!

[HopelessDei]

It would never occur to me that it might be a shortening.

It's a lovely name. Whereas, Leopold, not so much.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

A contraction of that ever so commen name...Leopold Old?

I'd imagine Leonardo is more common than Leopold and always has been generally speaking. Also, my (very culturally aware) phone autocorrected Leopold to Leopoldo...is the former a contraction of the latter?

I hardly think Leo diminutive of Leopold is the same kind of thing as Jack diminutive of John, Harry of Henry (it's not btw it's a popular myth, Hari is a Welsh name angliscised to Harry, popular nickname for Henry).

[Caff2]

I could bring in Leo Tolstoy at this point, except that I think in his case Leo was "short for" Lev!

[nooka]

Leo isn't a contraction of Leopold, they don't have the same root. Leo is Latin in origin and Leopold is German/Dutch, and their meanings are completely different. Nor is Leo short for Leonard (short forms are based on Len).

OP next time you are asked you could try some of the interesting Anglo-Saxon names that start 'leo' - this list has a few. I think if you told your questioner that your son's full name was Leofwine (as an example) they might be relieved when you say that no Leo isn't generally short for anything.

[RealAleOpenFiresandSteamTrains]

Leo could be used as a diminutive of Leon/Lyon, i supose?

[missknows]

The only 2 Leos I have known were a leopold who had french parents and a Leonardo who had an Italian parent. I would automatically assume it was short for something but have also met enough bens that are not actually benjamins so know that it might not be short for anything.

[FanFuckingTastic]

Katy can be a name all on it's own, so can Leo.

[FredFredGeorge]

"What's Leo short for?"

"he's only 2, how tall do you expect him to be?"

Would seem an appropriate response.

[Pipbin]

In my school we have 3 Leos who are just Leo and 3 Leonards who are all called Lennie.
I used to be very sniffy about a child having the shorter version of their name as their given name, until I realised that my name was a short version.

[Caff2]

I'm not bothered about short names as given names, but I think Leo is just a name traditionally in its own right as well as being a diminutive?

[treadheavily]

A lot of people have issues with names. Pfft leave them to their misery. And Leo is a great name.

[Nassau]

Have a relative called Leo, full name William.

[PandasAreDumb]

I wouldn't assume it to be a shortened name, because I personally don't really know anyone wh would name their DC Leopold/Leonard although I have met a Leon and a Leonardo.

[cardibach]

Nope, not a short form of anything. Look here
It is from the Latin for lion, while Leon is from the Greek for lion. No mention of any Leonard/Leopold/Leonardo connection, although obviously you could shorten those names to it. That would mean you were shortening their names to a 'real' shorter name, though, and my argument would be why not just give them that real name if you wanted it?
My granddad was called Leo and I'd have fought exDH for it if we'd had a boy.

[DigitConfusion]

I have one of those. Great name Though DH still maintains he registered him as Leonidas I!

[Manchesterhistorygirl]

My Leo is a nn for his real name. His full name is the Greek of Leonard. However, it can be a stand alone name too.

[Caitlin17]

It's not like Beth or Cathy or Steve . They are derivatives (and not in my opinion real names)

Leo isn't a derivative.

[Caitlin17]

You could have Leonidas but I agree Leo is a name on its own.

[Caitlin17]

Aarhg "diminutive"

[BringBackBod]

DS3 is Leo. I see it as a name in its own right. It doesn't really bother me if people think otherwise.

I actually quite like Leopold though

[Barbaralovesroger]

I don't think it's like Steve or Dave. It more like Zak

[ILiveOnABuildsite]

My grand dad was Leo, the name not the sign, he was born at the beginning of the 20th century and it wasn't short for anything. I always think of names like leopold and Leonard as just different names than Leo not its full form.
Worth considering that in French the Leo part of Leonard is not pronounced Len but Leo, so I suppose in French Leo could derive from Leonard. It could also just be a stand alone though, my grand dad was a French Leo.

[Caff2]

I don't think it's like Zak either as, as pps have said, it's a traditional name on its own and not a diminutive, although it could be used as a diminutive for Leopold etc. Zak is traditionally short for Zachary or Zachariah isn't it?

[luccamum]

Yes, it is short for me. (And my names not Leonard either.)