Leonard - wikipedia Leonard For other uses, see Leonard ( disambiguation ). Leonard or Leo is a common English, German, Irish, and Dutch masculine given name and a surname. The given name and surname originate from the Old High German Leonhard containing the prefix levon ( `` lion '' ) and the suffix hardu ( `` brave '' or `` hardy '' ). The name has come to mean `` lion strength '', `` lion - strong '', or `` lion - hearted ''. It may also be from the Latin Leo ( `` lion '' ). Leonard was the name of a Saint in the Middle Ages period, known as the patron saint of prisoners. Leonard is also an Irish origin surname, from the Gaelic O'Leannain, consisting of the prefix O ( `` descendant of '' ) and the suffix Leannan ( `` lover '' ). The oldest public records of the surname appear in 1272 in Huntingdonshire, England, and in 1479 in Ulm, Germany. Contents 1 Variations 2 In other languages 3 Given name 4 Surname 4.1 Film, radio, television 4.2 Literature 4.3 Military 4.4 Music 4.5 Politics 4.6 Sports 4.7 Other fields 5 Fictional characters 6 References 7 See also Variations The name has variants in other languages : Lennard, Learned, diminutive forms Lenny and Len ( English ) Lennert ( German, Dutch, Flemish ) O Leannáin Lehnertz, Lehnert ( Luxembourgish ) Léonard ( ( leɔnaʁ ) ; French ) Leon ( French, Dutch, Flemish ) Leonard = `` Renata '' in Maori, Waitaha Leonhard, Leonhardt ( German ) Leonardi, Lunardi ( Italian ) Leonardo ( Italian, Spanish and Portuguese ) Lenart ( disambiguation ) ( Czech, Slovene ) Lennart ( Swedish, Estonian, Dutch ( Groningen, Friesland ) ) Lenno ( Groningen ) Leen ( Dutch ) Leendert ( Dutch ) Lenni ( Finnish ) In other languages Armenian : Լեոնարդ ( Leonard ) Croatian : Leonard Czech : Leonard French : Léonard Georgian : ლეონარდ ( Leonard ) German : Leonhard, Leonhardt, Lennart Greek : Λεονάρδος ( Leonárdos ) Italian : Leonardo Maori : Renātā Polish : Leonard Portuguese : Leonardo Russian : Леонард ( Leonard ) Serbian : Леонард ( Leonard ) Spanish : Leonardo Swedish : Lennart People with the name or its variants include : Given name Leonard Pronunciation / ˈlɛnərd / LEN - ərd Gender Masculine Origin Meaning `` lion strength '' Region of origin England Leonard Adleman ( born 1945 ), American computer scientist Léonard Autié ( 1751 -- 1820 ), French hairdresser Leonard Bernstein ( 1918 -- 1990 ), American conductor and composer Leonard Burton ( born 1964 ), American football player Leonard of Chios ( died 1482 ), Greek bishop Leonard Cohen ( 1934 -- 2016 ), Canadian singer - songwriter Leonard Doroftei ( born 1970 ), Romanian boxer Leonhard Euler ( 1707 -- 1783 ), Swiss mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci ( c. 1170 - after 1240 ), Italian mathematician Leonard Fairley ( born 1951 ), American football player Leonhard Fuchs ( 1501 -- 1566 ), German physician and natural historian Leonard Hoffman ( born 1934 ), British judge Leonard Humphries ( born 1970 ), American football player Leonard Labatt ( 1838 -- 1897 ), Swedish tenor Leonard Lance ( born 1952 ), American politician Leonard Francis Lindoy ( born 1937 ), Australian chemist Leonard Livingston ( 1920 -- 1998 ), Australian cricketer Leonard Maltin ( born 1950 ), American film critic and film historian Leonard Mlodinow ( born 1954 ), American physicist and writer Leonard Nimoy ( 1931 -- 2015 ), American actor and film director Leonard of Noblac ( died 559 ), Frankish nobleman Leonard Peikoff ( born 1933 ), Canadian philosopher Leonard Pitts ( born 1957 ), American journalist Leonard of Port Maurice ( 1676 -- 1751 ), Italian saint Leonard Roberts ( born 1972 ), American actor Leonard Rosenman ( 1924 -- 2008 ), American composer Leonard Silverman ( 1930 -- 2015 ), New York politician and judge Leonard Slatkin ( born 1944 ), American conductor Leonard Steinberg ( 1936 -- 2009 ), British businessman Leonard Stone ( 1923 -- 2011 ), American actor Leonard Susskind ( born 1940 ), American theoretical physicist Leonard Thompson ( 1901 -- 1968 ), British football player Leonard Woolley ( 1880 -- 1960 ), British archaeologist Leonard Wong, American military writer Surname Leonard Family name Meaning `` lion, strong '' ; `` lion - hearted '' Region of origin Old High German ; Gaelic Film, radio, television Brendan Leonard ( born 1984 ), US TV personality Chuck Leonard ( 1937 - 2004 ), radio Gloria Leonard ( 1940 - 2014 ), actress Jason Leonard ( born 1968 ), English rugby union player John Leonard ( 1939 - 2008 ), critic Joshua Leonard ( born 1975 ), actor Lee Leonard ( born 1929 ), US TV personality Marion Leonard ( 1881 - 1956 ), actress Mike Leonard ( born 1947 ), US TV personality Robert Sean Leonard ( born 1969 ), actor Robert Z. Leonard ( 1889 - 1968 ), director Sheldon Leonard ( 1907 -- 1997 ), American film and TV producer Steve Leonard ( born 1972 ), English TV personality Tony Leonard ( born 1947 ), Australian radio presenter Literature Elmore Leonard ( 1925 - 2013 ), American novelist George Leonard ( 1923 - 2010 ), American author Hugh Leonard ( 1926 - 2009 ), Irish playwright John Leonard ( born 1965 ), Australian poet Paul Leonard ( writer ), UK author Tom Leonard ( born 1944 ), Scottish poet William Ellery Leonard ( 1876 - 1944 ), American poet Military Edwin Leonard, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient Matthew Leonard, Medal of Honor recipient Patrick James Leonard, Medal of Honor recipient Patrick Thomas Leonard, Indian Wars Medal of Honor recipient Turney W. Leonard, Medal of Honor recipient William E. Leonard, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient Music Adam Leonard, English singer - songwriter Conrad Leonard, pianist Glenn Leonard, American musician Gustav Leonhardt, Dutch musician, conductor, musicologist Harlan Leonard, American jazz musician Hubert Léonard, Belgian violinist Matthew Leonard, English musician Patricia Leonard, English opera singer Patrick Leonard, American songwriter Ronald Leonard, cellist Scott Leonard, American musician Politics Bill Leonard ( politician ), American politician Elijah Leonard, Canadian politician Fred Churchill Leonard, American politician J. Rich Leonard, American judge Jerris Leonard, American politician Jimmy Leonard, Irish politician John J. Leonard, mayor of Bolingbrook, Illinois Larry Leonard, American politician Paul Leonard ( politician ), American politician Richard Leonard, British politician Stephen B. Leonard, American politician Tom Leonard ( Irish politician ) William Leonard ( British politician ) Sports Andy Leonard, baseball Benny Leonard ( born Benjamin Leiner ; `` The Ghetto Wizard '', 1896 -- 1947 ), American world champion Hall of Fame lightweight boxer Bobby Leonard ( born 1932 ), American basketball coach Brendon Leonard, rugby union Brian Leonard, American football Buck Leonard, baseball Cecil Leonard, American football Dennis Leonard, baseball Dutch Leonard ( left - handed pitcher ) ( Hubert Benjamin Leonard ), baseball Dutch Leonard ( right - handed pitcher ) ( Emil John Leonard ), baseball Gary Leonard, basketball Hookey Leonard, Scottish professional footballer Jason Leonard ( born 1968 ), English rugby union player Jeffrey Leonard ( born 1955 ), American baseball player Jim Leonard, American football Joe Leonard, motorsports John Leonard ( footballer ), Gaelic football Johnny Leonard, Australian rules football Justin Leonard ( born 1972 ), American golfer Kawhi Leonard ( born 1991 ), American basketball player Mark Leonard ( footballer ), association football Marshall Leonard, soccer Meyers Leonard ( born 1992 ), American basketball player Michael Leonard, field hockey Philippe Léonard, soccer Sarah Leonard, archery Silvio Leonard ( born 1955 ), Cuban sprinter Stan Leonard, golf Sugar Ray Leonard ( born 1956 ), American boxer William J. Leonard, American football Leonard ( baseball ), first name unknown, played in one Major League Baseball game in 1892 Other fields Adna Wright Leonard, Methodist Bishop of Buffalo NY André - Joseph Léonard, Archbishop of Mechelen - Brussels Andrew Paul Leonard, photographer Andrew Leonard, American technology journalist Cynthia Leonard, suffragist Elizabeth Weeks Leonard, American professor Emery Clarence Leonard, American botanist Frederick C. Leonard, American astronomer George Leonard, American lawyer Graham Leonard, Anglican Bishop converted to Catholicism Harry Ward Leonard, inventor Herman Leonard, photographer Jack E. Leonard, comedian James A. Leonard, American chess player Thomas Arthur Leonard, English pioneer of outdoor holidays Vincent Leonard, Bishop of Pittsburgh Wrexie Leonard, American astronomer Fictional characters Anatole Leonard, in the Robotech series Ego Leonard, a children 's Lego character. Lenny Leonard, in The Simpsons Lockie Leonard, in children 's novels Léonard ( comics ), cartoon character by Turk & De Groot Leonard ( demon ), in the Dictionnaire Infernal Leonard Hofstadter, in The Big Bang Theory Lennie Briscoe, in Law & Order Private Leonard Church, from Red vs. Blue Leonard McCoy, in the Star Trek series Leonard of Quirm, in the Discworld novels Leonard von Lahnstein German soap opera character Leonard Snart, Captain Cold from The Flash comics and TV series. Lennie, in the novel Of Mice and Men Leonard, a ruler of Piggy Island and antagonist of The Angry Birds Movie References Jump up ^ `` Leonard - name meaning and origin ''. thinkbabynames.com. Retrieved 2008 - 03 - 24. ^ Jump up to : `` Surname : Leonard ''. surnamedb.com. Retrieved 2008 - 03 - 24. Jump up ^ `` No real than you are ''. www.egoleonard.nl. Retrieved 6 July 2017. See also Saint Leonard ( disambiguation ) St Leonards ( disambiguation ) This page or section lists people that share the same given name or the same family name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leonard&oldid=800045409 '' Categories : Given names Surnames Masculine given names Hidden categories : All set index articles Talk Contents About Wikipedia Dansk Deutsch Íslenska עברית Nederlands Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Română Slovenčina Slovenščina Suomi Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 11 September 2017, at 07 : 36. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: where does the last name leonard originate from
Answer: Old High German Leonhard