Baby boy names starting with Leo

[Wintersun13]

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 !

I like axel I wanted this but dh doesn't like it

Leon is definitely the best boys name, only given to extremely sweet checked angel-faced boys who hug their Mum into their teens.

I know a baby Leonardo, which is great.

Leo isn't a diminutive though. There have been 13 Popes called Pope Leo. It's a very dignified, grownup name with a lot of history, to me anyway. So maybe you are worrying unnecessarily about that?

Pope Leone in Italian, I suppose. But Leo in the official Latin, and in English.

What about Elio?

I know a Leoclides, she's a woman but it sounds unisex to me?

... a quick Google shows that it's used for men. Pronounced Leo Cly Dees.

I know a Leonadis (sp?) - Greek
and a Leolin - Welsh. Both go by Leo but it's lovely to have the longer version as an option too. Leo is a lovely name.

Leo has been a stand-alone name since at least the 5th century (see Pope Leo) but if it doesn’t work for you then that’s academic.

Leox

Actually, scrap that! It was familiar to me because it was a brand of corned beef when I was a child.

Maximilien is lovely. But he would have to spell it out outside Francophone countries, I think - the English version is Maximilian.

Waiting for the day Léopold comes into fashion - imagine - what a name! Have never known one (in U.K here).

If I had ever had a boy he would of been Leonardo or Leonidas. I also love Maximilian.

What did that blogger Chiara Ferrangi name her Leo as? I’m pretty sure Leo or Leon or Leoncino was a nn.

I think it's a great reason to look for longer name, I too feel Leo and especially names like Jay feel unfinished, I love all the following

Leondro
Leonard
Le-Oscar
Leoscar
Leoran(I really love this)
Leoliver
Leorion
Leowen

"Leonek"

wowbabyname.com/leonek-name-meaning-and-origin/

I think Leopold, nn Leo is great, but Lionel would also work for nn Leo. I knew a little Lionel when my DC wee very small, he was such a cool child!

We have a Leo. It is a family name. He is the fifth generation of just Leo. It's not a nick name. It is a full name.
We call him leonardo as a nickname

Theo instead of Leo. Theodore for proper. Good in a variety of languages/countries.

Unique Baby Names

@HeronLanyon my nephew is in the UK and called Leopold! He’s only a few months old. He’s called Leo on a daily basis.

You could go off-piste and give him another name associated with lions, then get Leo as a pet name from that?

Now I've said that, I can only think of Wallace or Albert, which definitely won't travel well outside England (or maybe even outside the North West)!

Not Leo but maybe Lorenzo - Enzo for short

Alexander

Boris and Alexander

Leo is a full name. Multiple popes have been called, it’s a very old name that means lion and is the name of one of the signs of the zodiac - the lion! Nothing unfinished about the name Leo and I say that as someone who really dislike nicknames being used as full names.