Leonie is a feminine given name of Latin origin. It is derived from the Latin word "leo," which means "lion." Thus, Leonie can be interpreted as "like a lioness" or "lion-like."
The name Leonie has been used throughout history, with notable figures bearing this name including Sainte Leonie de Paris, a French saint who lived in the 19th century and was known for her devotion to God and her charitable works.
In literature, Leonie is also the name of a character in George Eliot's novel "Daniel Deronda," published in 1876. This Leonie is depicted as a spirited and independent woman, reflecting some of the qualities associated with the name.
Today, Leonie continues to be a popular choice for parents seeking a strong and distinctive feminine name with Latin roots and historical significance. It has also been used as a surname throughout history, though it is more commonly encountered as a given name in recent times.
Based on the provided statistics, the name Leonie has seen a significant increase in popularity over time in the United States. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there were fewer than 20 births per year with the name Leonie, with some years seeing as few as six births.
However, starting around the mid-1980s, there was a noticeable uptick in the number of babies named Leonie. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, the popularity of the name began to surge. In 1999, there were 17 births with the name Leonie, and this number continued to rise throughout the early 2000s.
By 2008, the name Leonie was more popular than it had ever been before, with a total of 22 births that year. This trend continued into the 2010s, with the name reaching new heights in popularity. In 2016, there were 64 babies named Leonie, and this number increased to 64 again in 2020.
Overall, from 1880 to 2023, there have been a total of 2,075 births with the name Leonie in the United States. This demonstrates that while the name may not have always been popular, it has gained significant traction over time and is now one of the more common names for newborn girls.