Leo

Leo derives from the Latin word for lion, leo, which is itself borrowed from Greek leon. The name was borne by thirteen popes, including Leo the Great in the fifth century, who significantly shaped the early Christian church, as well as by emperors of the Byzantine Empire. It also functions as a short form of names beginning with the element Leo-, such as Leonard and Leopold. Closely related forms include León, Leone, and the feminine Leona and Leonie.