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leon

Leon is a given name and, less commonly, a surname. It derives from the Latin name Leo, which itself comes from the Greek word leon meaning lion. The form appears across languages and cultures, with the accented variants Léon (French) and León (Spanish) reflecting pronunciation differences. In English, the unaccented form Leon is common; the diminutive Leo is frequently used as a nickname or standalone given name.

As a given name, Leon has been used since medieval times and remains common in many parts

As a place name, Léon / León denotes several locations in the Spanish-speaking world: León, a historic

of
the
world,
often
shortened
to
Leo.
Notable
individuals
include
Leon
Trotsky
(1879–1940),
a
Russian
revolutionary;
Leon
Panetta
(born
1937),
an
American
politician
and
administrator;
and
Leon
Russell
(1942–2016),
an
American
musician
and
songwriter.
The
name
appears
in
various
alphabets
and
may
be
used
for
both
historical
and
contemporary
figures
across
politics,
science,
and
the
arts.
city
and
capital
of
the
province
of
León
in
the
autonomous
community
of
Castile
and
León,
Spain;
León,
Nicaragua,
the
capital
of
the
León
Department;
and
León,
Guanajuato,
a
major
city
in
central
Mexico.
The
toponym
is
common
in
Latin
America
due
to
Spanish
colonial
naming.