Name of the Day: Leonardo

November 11

Leonardo

On November 11, 1974, actor Leonardo DiCaprio was born in Los Angeles, California. Taking the world by storm with hugely successful films like Titanic, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Inception, the Italian-American heartthrob has become one of the biggest faces in film today.

DiCaprio’s name has a fun story behind it, and a tie to another famous Leonardo. While pregnant, Leo’s mother felt her first kick while looking at a da Vinci painting in the Ufizzi Gallery in Florence.

The name Leonardo is of Italian and Spanish origin, one of many fierce names meaning “lion”. DiCaprio’s young and handsome image, as well as the name’s lively O ending, catapulted this name — and various other Leo names — up the charts.

Leo is currently at #22 in the US (and #6 in England and Wales), and Leonardo is at #75. Other Leo names in the US Top 1000 include Leon, Leonel, Leonidas, and Leonard. Unique paths to nickname Leo include Leopold, Leander, and Leonid.

Leo is increasingly chic for girls as well, with Leona, Leonora, Leonie, Leonor, and Leora feeling especially stylish.