Leo vs Levi
Leo and Levicompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and Levi #109 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #5 and Levi #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Leo was ranked #5 and Levi #28 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and Levi #130 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #10 and Levi #83 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #12 and Levi #84 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #28 and Levi #86 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2020, Leo was ranked #5493 and Levi #3899 among girls in England and Wales.
Leo and Levi over time
Leo and Levi appear together in 6 published lists, across 163 years of shared records. Leo held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Levi in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1999, Leo moved ahead of Levi in England and Wales · Boys — #176 and #165 the year before became #160 and #163.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Leo and Levi changed places 4 times in Norway · Boys between 1953 and 2025, ending at #28 and #86.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Leo and Levi averaged 21.4 places apart, ending at #5 and #28.
- Longest-running competitions
Leo and Levi were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 42 years, from 1953 to 2025, ending at #28 and #86.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Leo #5 in 2022, Levi #109 in 2024.
List by list
Norway · Boys42 shared years, 1953–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Levi in 2.
Highest recorded here: Leo #28 in 2025, Levi #65 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #28, Levi #86.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Levi in 3.
Highest recorded here: Leo #5 in 2022, Levi #109 in 2024.
The order changed in 1999: Leo moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #176 and #165; by 1999 that had become #160 and #163.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #5, Levi #109.
Republic of Ireland · Boys29 shared years, 1988–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Levi in 0.
Highest recorded here: Leo #10 in 2025, Levi #83 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #10, Levi #83.
Northern Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1999–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Levi in 0.
Highest recorded here: Leo #6 in 2023, Levi #63 in 2023.
The order changed in 2000: Leo moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #241 and #241; by 2000 that had become #189 and #224.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #12, Levi #84.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023
Leo held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Levi in 11.
Highest recorded here: Leo #3 in 2019, Levi #22 in 2014.
The order changed in 2015: Leo moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #23 and #22; by 2015 that had become #24 and #43.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Leo #5, Levi #28.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Levi in 6.
Highest recorded here: Leo #3 in 2022, Levi #8 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #5, Levi #8.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Leo | Levi |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Lion. | Possibly means 'joined' or 'attached' in Hebrew, referencing Levi (third son of Jacob and Leah) as ancestor of the Levite priestly tribe. Behind the Name flags the etymology itself as uncertain. |
| Origin | Latin | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliːoʊ/ | /ˈliːvaɪ/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #5 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #8 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Leo is recorded with a Latin origin, while Levi is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Leo has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Levi.
- Leo's recorded meaning differs from Levi's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Leo
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2009–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2022 (recorded 2009–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Levi
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #332 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2004–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025 (recorded 2004–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys