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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Baby boy names starting with Leo

53 replies

Wintersun13 · 02/02/2020 11:22

Hello everyone !

Baby boy due in 16wk. I'm thinking actively about names as I struggle to find ones I truly love. Would appreciate help !

Criteria :

  • not made-up or overly unique (as in, he'd have to spell it every single time and always stand out as the boy with the weird name). Somewhat original and/or classic but unused/uncommon is fine though.
  • Must work in French but also be international as we move internationally because of my job and baby is as likely to go to school in south america as eastern europe or asia.
  • I prefer names 2 to 4 syllables and love nicknames.

Names I've been considering :

  • Axel
  • Maximilien
  • Léo-something

I like Léo but I feel like it works better as a nickname for a longer name. Also I have a short surname so doesn't go well with a short first name.
Problem is, can't think of many names that start with Léo. The only ones I can think of are Léonard and Leopold, neither of which I really love. Leonidas is a bit too heavily linked to either the chocolate brand or the Spartan king. Léonide is very, very russian (and my first son's name is already Boris so that would be a bit much !). I don't love Léonce. Leonzio is okay but sounds very italian and I have zero connection to italy (I do have a connection to scandinavia and eastern europe, albeit distant). Léandre doesn't really sound like Léo much.

So in one word, any suggestions of good names starting with Leo, or with Leo as a nickname ?
I'd also appreciate unrelated suggestions that follow the criteria outlined above.

Thanks to all that took the time to read this wall of text !

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BecauseReasons · 02/02/2020 11:25

Leonardo

BecauseReasons · 02/02/2020 11:26

Leon

Littleshortcake · 02/02/2020 11:27

Was going to suggest Leon too.

Lazydaisydaydream · 02/02/2020 11:27

I would honestly just go with Leo rather than trying to make yourself love another name purely because it is longer. As long as your surname doesn't rhyme with Leo I don't think it matters to have two short names.

Ricekrispie22 · 02/02/2020 11:35

Emilio
Elliot

Original poster
Wintersun13 · 02/02/2020 11:37

@Lazydaisydaydream - the issue is that Leo doesn't sound like a full name to me. It's a nickname, a lovely one, but not a full name. I know the current fashion is to use nicknames as names, like Alfie or Archie, but that's really not my cup of tea.
If I can't find a name I like I may drop Léo altogether but I figured I'd give it a shot here see if anyone has any suggestions.

@JJPC - thanks for the link but I've been on babyname websites (more than one !) and also most of the names there are completely unusable in France.

OP posts:
Original poster
Wintersun13 · 02/02/2020 11:38

(much as I like Leoric and the Diablo connection, I fear using it would be a disservice to the baby !)

OP posts:
SoMuchToBits · 02/02/2020 11:44

Leofric - Anglo-Saxon name.

Worriedmum97 · 02/02/2020 11:47

Our eldest is Leonid, but it’s a Russian name (google Leonid Brezhnev for example), not sure how international it is.

NameChange30 · 02/02/2020 11:48

I think Leo is fine by itself. Lovely name.

I prefer Maxime to Maximilien. Good French/Russian name, and Max is international.

ElizabethinherGermanGarden · 02/02/2020 11:50

Leonidas

Original poster
Wintersun13 · 02/02/2020 11:51

Thanks for the suggestions !

Léonide defo is quite russian and I kind of want to ease up on the russian connection with my eldest already named Boris.

Léo on its own just doesn't work for me...

I've heard other people say they prefer Maxime but I really like Maximilien better. I'd be more likely to use it as a middle name anyway, in which case that wouldn't really matter...

OP posts:
Cookit · 02/02/2020 11:53

I agree Leo in its own is fine. Leopold is particularly awful.

Maximilien is great. And Maxim.

icecreamsundae32 · 02/02/2020 11:56

Leonardo!

YappityYapYap · 02/02/2020 12:02

I think Axel is really nice. I would go with that personally

florascotia2 · 02/02/2020 12:23

What about Lionel?
In a French accent, the short form Leo would not have the same sound, of course, but they are perhaps similar enough to allow you to use Leo as an abbreviation.

There is a Welsh name Leolin (= a version of Llwellyn), but you would need advice from a Welsh-speaker on pronunciation.

There is also AngloSaxon Leofstan, Leofwine etc, but I don't know that they are usable today.

Might you perhaps prefer Leonhardt ( a surname, so maybe not a possibility) to Leonard?

TheOneWithAnotherName · 02/02/2020 12:47

We have an Axel and I still love the name. We also loved Max but it didn't work with our surname.

Original poster
Wintersun13 · 02/02/2020 12:47

@YappityYapYap - Axel is my backup plan. I was hesitant to use it because my brother is Alex, but... shrug

@florascotia2 - I've thought about Lionel, maybe spelt Léonel (pronunciation in french would obv. be different then). But I'm not sold...

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Original poster
Wintersun13 · 02/02/2020 12:49

Leonhardt defo doesn't work in french and neither do the very anglosaxon names...

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IvinghoeBeacon · 02/02/2020 12:59

Leontes/Léonte? (though as he is a Shakespeare character it’s worth checking you’re ok with that)

OldFirstTimeMum · 02/02/2020 16:15

Leonardo or Emilio

Nonnymum · 02/02/2020 16:21

I know you don't like Leo but I honesty think that is the best Leo name. Failing that
Leon
Lional
Leonardo
Leonard

glitterbiscuits · 02/02/2020 16:26

Leon.

Original poster
Wintersun13 · 02/02/2020 16:58

It's not that I don't like Leo, quite the opposite. But i want a full name, not a diminutive (and Leo feels like a diminutive to me, no matter how much I like it, it spoils the name for me unfortunately).

Anyway, this pretty much answers my question - I was wondering if I missed a Leo-something name that would sound awesome and sadly it looks like there just isn't one.

Thanks for all the suggestions anyway !

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