Leonato

LEE-un-NAH-to

Shakespearean name, form of Leonnatos, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek

"lion's jaw"

Leonato Origin and Meaning

The name Leonato is a boy's name meaning "lion's jaw".

Leonato is one of the main characters in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, the noble governor of Messina on whose property most of the play takes place. His daughter Hero and his niece Beatrice are the two main female romantic leads in the play. His character is ambiguous; he starts out friendly and amiable, but he reacts very harshly to rumors that his daughter has lost her "honor" before marriage.

A striking and unusual way to get to the popular Leo, Leonato likely means "lion's jaw", from the Greek elements leon and gnathos. Some suggest Leonato is a Shakespearean invention, though it may equally be a Spanish and Portuguese form of Leonnatos.

The name Leonato in Pop Culture

• Leonato character in Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing"