The name of 10 pre-1600 popes, six Byzantine emperors between the 5th and 10th C, an 8th C saint, and five kings of Armenia between the 12th and 14th C. The diminutive Lionel was the name of a younger son of King Bors and Evaine in the medieval Arthurian legends.
The name was often used by Jews as a translation of Hebrew Arye.
- Austria
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- Latin
- ● 798 Leo (nom) UrkStyria 1
- Belgium
-
- Latin
- ● 1143 Leo (nom) CartStBert 15;
1147 Leonii (dat) ibid. 16;
1151 Leonem (acc) ibid. 17
- Dutch
- ● 1582 Lioen MPSA p. 83
- Brabant
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- Latin
- ● 1312 Leonii (gen) JeanIII p. 37
- Czech Republic
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- Latin
- ● 1343 Leonis (gen) Rössler2 128, p. 65;
1345 Leoni (dat) CDEM-7.2 605;
1350 Leo (nom) Rössler1 53;
1375 Leo (nom) LDFPUP1 p. 31
- Middle High German
- ● 1365 Lew (nom) Rössler1 58;
1373 Lew (nom) ibid. 102
- England
-
- Latin
- ● 1279–80 Leo (nom) WaHR-SK p. 30
- ◑ 1476 Lionello (abl) WillsInv LXVII
- Dutch
- ● 1593 Leon AuFr Busken;
1594 Lion ibid. Beusken;
1596 Leon ibid. Busken;
1599 Lion ibid. Busken
- Early Modern English
- ● 1592 Lyon DEmar-vol2 p. 25
- ◑ 1526 lionell WillsInv LXXVII;
1540 Lyonell ibid. LXXXVI;
1560 Lyonell RegIng p. 5;
1592 Lionell Bar-in-El p. 31;
1595 Lyonell ibid. p. 31
- France
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- Latin
- ● 1049 Leo (nom) CartNDSaintes III;
1160 Leonis (gen) CartNDdOurscamp CXIV;
1378 Leoni (dat) hanquetvol1 1180,
Leonii (gen) ibid. 2489,
Leonio (dat) ibid. 521,
Leonius (nom) ibid. 2489
- Old French
- ● 1313 Lion Paris1313 p. 51
- Middle French
- ● 1354 Lion MHN DLX;
1571 Léon RegPCC-1 p. 621;
1587 Leon RTFProvins 6
- Germany
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- Latin
- ● 795x800 Leonis (gen) HambUrk-vol1 IV;
846 Leonis (gen) ibid. XI;
849 Leo (nom) ibid. XIII;
864 Leonis (gen) ibid. XVI;
920 Leonis (gen) ibid. XXIX;
937 Leo (nom) ibid. XXXIII;
1191 Leo (nom) quix-vol1 38;
1216 Leo (nom) hennes-vol1 25;
1280 Leo (nom) ibid. 268;
1313 Leonem (acc) VFBStralsund 20,
Leoni (dat) ibid. 31;
1322 Leonis (gen) ibid. 78;
1401 leonio (dat) HD1401 no. 397
- Italy
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- Latin
- ● 915 Leo (nom) RCI-Cam1 2,
Leonis (gen) ibid. 2;
999 Leonem (acc) HGSav-4.1 p. 1,
Leoni (dat) ibid. p. 1,
Leonis (gen) ibid. p. 1;
1100 Leonem (acc) RCI-Cam1 627,
Leoni (dat) ibid. 628;
1220 Leo (nom) hennes-vol1 49;
1224 Leo (nom) UrkRott-1 17;
1236 Leo (nom) TirNot1 9;
1265x1339 Leonis (gen) BBC-Berg 1625;
1282 Lione (nom) ibid. p. XLVII;
1300 Leonis (gen) ActDipVeneto-I-1 p. 50;
1310 Leonus (nom) MonRav-2 CCCL;
1376 Leo (abl) DouGen1 p. 84,
Leone (abl) ibid. p. 71;
1449 Leo (nom) VitAs2 IX;
1513 Leo (nom) MHCG2 286;
1527 Leonis (gen) Rome1527 p. 87
- ◑ 1376 Leonel (abl) DouGen1 p. 29,
Leonele (abl) ibid. p. 42
- Switzerland
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- Latin
- ● 1515 Leonis (gen) MHCG2 288;
1519 Leone (abl) ibid. 292
Cite as: A. Brown, S.L. Uckelman. "Leo". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2021, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2021/1/name/Leo.