Leandra

Greek, “like a lioness”

Masculine forms of this majestic and lilting name are currently in vogue, with the Greek Leander being a popular choice on Nameberry (and in Norway and Germany too), while the Spanish and Italian variation, Leandro, charts in the US, the UK, Switzerland, Italy, France, and beyond.

It’s feminine form, however, is currently less in popular, having fallen out of the US charts after a brief appearance in the 90s. Given to less than 40 babies in a recent year, it could make a rarer alternative to Alexandra, Leah, and Leanna.

Ultimately from the Greek Leandros, I first encountered the name after reading Christopher Marlowe’s poem, Hero and Leander, which retells the story of the mythological and tragic lovers. I really liked the sound of Leander (and still do), but at the time, I was looking for a name for a female character and Leandra felt just right for her.

I love the cadence of the name, and both its brave-hearted meaning “like a lion(ess)” and versatile nickname options: Lea, Landry, Andra, Andie, Lena, Lela, and Leni.