The baby name Lionel balances a fierce meaning with a gentlemanly vibe.
Thanks to Sara for suggesting our Name of the Day
LION
The baby name Lionel comes from the Greek leon – lion.
The king of the jungle has inspired parents for centuries. There were popes called Leo; artists, athletes, and activists known as Leon; and, of course, a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend.
Lionel evolved as a French diminutive – Leon plus -el. Little lion.
KNIGHT
Arthurian legends tells us that Lionel was born a prince a Gaul. When his father died, he and his brother Bors were raised by the Lady of the Lake. Along with their cousin Lancelot they both become Knights of the Round Table.
Bors and Lionel fight amongst themselves, even as they attempt the Quest for the Holy Grail.
But ultimately, Lionel dies in battle against Mordred’s army. His brother avenges his death.
The stories were Game of Thrones in an era before the printing press. And, in proof that pop culture has always guided what parents name their children, King Edward III of England named his second son Lionel after the Knight.
Aristocratic Lionels followed.
AMERICAN ROYALTY
American royalty also embraced the name. Lionel Barrymore reluctantly followed his parents into the business. His acting career spanned five decades, included an Oscar for Best Actor, and the immortal late-in-life role as Mr. Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life.
Barrymore might time stamp the name as a turn-of-the-last-century staple. But the numbers aren’t that straightforward.
BY the NUMBERS
In fact, the baby name Lionel consistently ranked in or around the Top 500 – and often closer to the Top 300 – from the year 1900 right through the 1980s. It never really caught on. But only in the 1990s did Lionel begin to fade.
It teetered on the edge of the charts for a while.
By the year 2002, it was out of the rankings, and it didn’t return until 2010.
And yet, the baby name Lionel remained broadly familiar.
FAMILIAR RARITY
Even as the baby name Lionel faded from use, it remained broadly familiar.
Some credit goes to Lionel model trains, founded by Joshua Lionel Cowen. The company produced trains from 1903 until 1959, followed by several revivals.
While Cowen wasn’t the first to put train tracks under Christmas trees – the practice started in Germany – they became an American custom, too. It makes the baby name Lionel feel gently vintage.
Notable men also answered to the name across the years, including:
- Singer Lionel Richie
- Fictional characters from The Jeffersons to Person of Interest on the small screen and Moonrise Kingdom on the big screen
- Footballer Lionel Messi, arguably the most famous Lionel of recent years
That’s quite a range.
POLISHED and FIERCE
Lion names are enjoying a moment, from Leo to Leonardo, with plenty of choices in between.
The baby name Lionel also fits right in with distinguished, gentlemanly choices. Sebastian and Montgomery. Arthur and Julian.
For now, though, the baby name Lionel’s comeback is quite cautious. As of 2020, the name ranked #660.
Spanish form Leonel is far more popular, at #344.
Either way, the sound blends in with romantic, dramatic choices like Raphael and Giovanni.
If you’re looking for something equally polished and fierce, the baby name Lionel might strike exactly the right note.
What do you think of the baby name Lionel?
First published on December 13, 2010, this post was revised substantially and re-published on March 16, 2022.
Thank you for the posting. It is interesting to read the different impressions of the name. As the apparent odd woman out, I really like it. I can totally imagine a cuddly toddler answering to nn Lio, the pensive artsy boy teen surrounded by girls swooning because he plays the guitar for a garage band, or a driven 30-something Wall Street trader in gorgeous suits all pulling it off. But I’m also out of the loop on the Lionel Ritchie music front and I don’t know a single old man with a bad comb-over sporting the name either, so I think I read the name with a completely blank slate. That said, no worries that any future child of mine will have this name as my husband vetoed it ASAP. 🙂
I get this strong dual nerdy and skeevy vibe. That and images of a much older man with an entire container of Brylcreem through his hair, trying in vain to maintain his unruly comb over.
hmm I should thiknk Lionel Ritche…but Im a geek and all I think is Lionel Luthor.
I prefer Leonel (pronounced lee-, not lye-). I agree that Messi will probably make this name more popular.
I like Lionel and while it makes me think of Lionel Richie (and is that really a bad thing) it also makes me think of the jazz great Lionel Hampton.
That’s a nice point Julie – Lionel Hampton puts a whole other spin on the name. (BTW, Wikipedia gives his full name as Lionel Leo Hampton, but I can’t confirm it. This site mentions no middle: https://www.uiweb.uidaho.edu/hampton/bio.html)
As a (relatively new) Kentuckian, I think of Lionel Hampton just after Lionel Richie.
This name somehow skeeves me out though. You know how sometimes a name just doesn’t sit well with you – this one is it. Maybe because I always picture this big mustache and mustaches weird me out. 😉
Funny, a lot of people have that reaction. I don’t have any negative associations with Lionel – surprising how that works sometimes.
It’s a bit too ‘unfashionable old man’ for me because of the character from ‘As Time Goes By’: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_Time_Goes_By_%28TV_series%29
It also makes me think of the PBS kids show ‘Between the Lions’. One of the lions is Lionel – I’m looking it up and I guess he’s one of the child lions, so that gives it a younger feel.
The -nel ending doesn’t really do it for me either. Maybe it sounds somewhat feminine to me. I prefer Leo.
I’ve heard of As Time Goes By, but I’ve never seen it – that IS a long run, though, so doubtless that puts parents off using Lionel. But Lionel and Jean never marry? I’m intrigued …
I love Leon. I like Leo. But, I don’t much care for Lionel. It’s a bit too close too Linus for my liking, and that pretty much ruins it for me…
Another famous wearer of the name that may boost popularity is Argentina’s soccer superstar Lionel Messi.
You’d think Lionel Messi would have had a bigger impact on the popularity of this name, but maybe it has in Spanish speaking countries.
He pronounces it Lee-on-el.
Totally missed Messi. But you’re right, C & Veronica, I’m sure that could be an influence. And his pronunciation is appealing.
I’m in my mid-20s, so for me the Lionel Ritchie association kind of kills the name like Abby said. It’s not a bad association, it’s just the only one and it’s quite strong.
A side note – I know a late 50ish Pakistani-American man named Asadullah, which translates from Arabic as ‘Lion of God’. Talk about a strong, masculine name! I have no idea how popular the name is in Pakistan or if people use Asad by itself, but to my knowledge it’s not common in Arab countries.
However, the name Fahad (or Fahd) which means panther/jaguar, is quite the evergreen Arabic boys name, most likely because of the late King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. Anyway, just thought it was interesting how the meanings for names are often so cross-cultural 🙂