A native of Dacia Aureliana near historic Thrace, he was known as Leo the Thracian (Greek: Λέων Α' ὁ Θρᾷξ Leōn ho Thrax).
Seorang penduduk asli Dacia Aureliana didekat Trakia yang bersejarah, ia dikenal sebagai Leo orang Trakia (Yunani: Λέων Α' ὁ Θρᾷξ).