Leontios

Leontios is a masculine given name of Greek origin (Λεόντιος), derived from león "lion" and meaning "lion-like." It has been used in the Byzantine world and in Christian contexts.

The most prominent bearer is Leontios I, a Byzantine emperor who ruled from 695 to 698. A high-ranking general under Justinian II, he seized the throne in 695 and established a short-lived regime, facing internal unrest and external threats before being deposed by Tiberios III in 698.

Beyond the imperial throne, the name Leontios is recorded among several saints, bishops and ecclesiastical writers in Greek hagiographical and liturgical sources, though the precise identities and dates vary among sources.

In modern scholarship, the name appears in various transliterations such as Leontius in Latin texts and Leonte or Leonti in some Slavic languages.