# De León (surname)

De León or de León or De Leon is a Spanish origin surname, often toponymic, in which case it may possibly indicate an ultimate family origin in the Kingdom of León or the later Province of León.

## Geographical distribution

As of 2014, 29.7% of all known bearers of the surname de León were residents of the Philippines (frequency 1:647), 26.4% of Guatemala (1:116), 20.0% of Mexico (1:1,179), 8.1% of the Dominican Republic (1:244), 4.1% of Panama (1:182), 2.2% of the United States (1:31,581), 2.1% of Uruguay (1:313), 1.7% of Spain (1:5,084) and 1.0% of El Salvador (1:1,194).
In Spain, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:5,084) in the following autonomous communities:
* 1. Canary Islands (1:427)
* 2. Community of Madrid (1:4,329)
In Guatemala, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:116) in the following departments:
* 1. San Marcos Department (1:35)
* 2. Jutiapa Department (1:42)
* 3. Quetzaltenango Department (1:45)
* 4. Retalhuleu Department (1:49)
* 5. El Progreso Department (1:72)
* 6. Suchitepéquez Department (1:100)
* 7. Izabal Department (1:106)

## People

Notable people with the surname De León include,
* Beatrice de Leon (1902–1991), British Theatre manager
* Carlos Enrique Díaz de León (1910–1971), Provisional President of Guatemala 1954
* Carlos de León (1959–2020), Puerto Rican boxer
* Charito de León (born 1939), Filipina actress
* Christopher de Leon (born 1956), Filipino actor and politician
* Daniel De Leon (1852–1914), Venezuelan-born Sephardic Jew, American socialist and trade unionist
* Delia de Leon (1901–1993), British actress and disciple of Meher Baba
* Diego de León y Navarrete (1807-1841), Spanish military figure
* Edgar René De León Moreno, Guatemalan politician
* Edwin de Leon (1818-1891), American/Confederate diplomat and writer
* Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León (born 1951), former Mexican president
* Florante de Leon (born TBA), Filipino singer
* Gerardo de León (1913–1981), Filipino film actor and director
* Gil de León (1916–????), Filipino film actor and director
* Jack de Leon (1902–1956), British theatre manager, impresario and playwright
* Jane De Leon (born 1998), Filipina actress, singer, model, and dancer
* Joaquín Velázquez de León, Minister of State of Mexico
* Joel de León, styled Joel Deleōn (born 1999), American singer
* Joey de Leon (born 1946), Filipino comedian and television host
* José García de León y Pizarro (1770–1835), Minister of State of Spain 1816–1818
* José De León (born 1992), Puerto Rican baseball player
* Juan Manuel de León Merchante (1626–1680), Spanish dramatist
* Juan Ponce de León (1460–1521), Spanish explorer and conquistador
* Juan Ponce de León II (1524-1591), first Puerto Rican governor of Puerto Rico
* Juan Velázquez de León (died 1520), Spanish conquistador with Hernán Cortés
* Juana María de los Dolores de León Smith (1798–1872), wife of General Sir Harry Smith, Governor of the Cape Colony, South Africa
* Kathleen de Leon Jones (born 1977), Filipino-Australian singer, dancer, actress and television performer, Hi-5
* Lautaro De León (born 2001), Uruguayan footballer
* Lotlot de Leon (born 1971), Filipina actress
* Luis de León (1527–1591), Spanish lyric poet and Augustinian friar
* Luis Ponce de León (governor of New Spain) briefly the governor of New Spain, from July 4, 1526, to July 16, 1526
* Mateo de la Mata Ponce de León ([?]-1720), Spanish colonial officer, interim viceroy of Peru 1716
* McCoy De Leon (born 1995), Filipino actor and model
* Miguel de León (born 1962), Venezuelan actor
* Mike de León (Miguel de Leon) (born 1947), Filipino film director, scriptwriter, and producer
* Moses de León or Moshe ben Shem-Tov (1250–1305), Spanish rabbi and Kabbalist
* Nathalie de Leon, Filipino-American chemist and physicist
* Nick DeLeon (born 1990), American soccer player for D.C. United
* Oscar de León (born 1943), Venezuelan singer
* Pedro Cieza de León (1520–1554), Jewish-origin New Christian Spanish conquistador and historian
* Pedro Ponce de León (1520-1584), Spanish Benedictine monk
* Perla de Leon (born 1952), American artist and photographer
* Rafael De Leon aka Roaring Lion (1908–1999), Trinidadian calypsonian
* Ramiro de León Carpio (1942–2002), President of Guatemala 1993–1996
* Rudy de Leon (born 1952), American Deputy Secretary of Defense
* Thomas Cooper de Leon (1839–1914), American journalist, author, and playwright
* Tiburcio de Leon, Filipino revolutionary general
* Victor De Leon III aka Lil Poison, (born May 6, 1998) recognized by Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest professional video game player

## Fictional characters

* Cervantes de León, character in the Soul Series of fighting games