Names That Mean Lion

A fairly common name in many Slavic countries, especially Russia – perhaps in part because it sounds close to the name of the country, although the two words are unrelated etymologically. The name Ruslan was used by Russian poet Alexander Pushkin for the hero of his epic poem Ruslan and Ludmila, based on Russian and Tatar folktales about the hero Yeruslan Lazarevich. Yeruslan or Uruslan is a Tatar name likely deriving from Turkic arslan "lion".

This alternative spelling of Leo is popular with German-speaking parents. It's rare in English-speaking areas, which could be a burden, but the advantage is that it could be short for (or honor) a name such as Julio or Lionel.

Othniel is mentioned in the Bible and Tanakh (in the Book of Judges) where he is the first of the biblical judges mentioned. Othniel was related to Caleb, which might make these two names a nice biblically themed sib-set.

Hamza was the legendary uncle of the Prophet Muhammad, hero of The Hamzanama, the Story of Hamza.

Leya is a simple, attractive multicultural choice, but with some teasing peril. The "Star Wars" princess spelled her name Leia.

This old man nickname feels remarkably fresh when applied to girls. Use it as a short form of Lena, Helena, Magdalena, Lennon or Lennox. The pan-European Leni is identical in sound yet feels a little lighter and fresher, and is a fashionable favorite in Germany.

This spelling variation of trending unisex Ari — both diminutives of Hebrew Ariel — means "lion of God".

Levon, an unusual alternative to Levi. has two musical associations: it's the title of an Elton John song, inspired by late, great drummer for The Band, Levon Helm--whose birth name was Mark. Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke chose Levon for their son.

Better than Lenny, not as good as Leo, and tightly tied to Tonight Show host Jay Leno.

Leontine is the French form of a name that's more familiar by its spelling variation Leontyne, the name made famous by opera diva Price. An obscure choice, Leontine nevertheless feels right for our lion-name-crazed moment.

Ariyah jumped into the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013, probably because some American parents see it as a creative spelling of the popular Aria or Arya. But it's also an authentic Hebrew name in its own right, a feminine form of the Biblical Aryeh, heard in modern Israel..

An Italian spin on the current European darling Leon, though the final e makes it a tad feminine to the American sensibility.

Tau, rhyming with cow, is a simple straightforward name with roots in two languages and cultures, the Kaurna language spoken by indigenous Australian people or the African Tswana language, a Bantu language spoken by five million people.

This was the name of a 2nd-century BC king of Bactria. It was also borne by Saint Pantaleon – also called Panteleimon, as in Lyra's daemon in the His Dark Materials trilogy – who was a doctor martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century. He is a patron saint of doctors and midwives.

Alparslan is a combination of the Turkish words alp, meaning "hero," and arslan, "lion." The name is a reference to Alp Arslan, the title given to 11th-century Seljuk sultan Muhammad bin Dawud Chaghri when his army defeated the Byzantines.

Leona with a French accent that gives it a bit more flair. It's currently very popular there – in the Top 30 for French baby girls.

French spelling of Leo, currently a bit hit with French-speaking parents.

When actress Tamera Mowry named her daughter Ariah, she said it was a Hebrew name meaning "lion of God" -- which it is, if you consider Ariah a variation of Ariel. But many sources consider Ariah a spelling variation of the Italian Aria, meaning song or literally air.

The y makes it seem more like a name and less like an animal, but it's still not as appealing as several Leo choices.

This spelling variation of trending unisex Ari — both diminutives of Hebrew Ariel — means "lion of God".