Leo vs Mason
Leo and Masoncompared 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 Mason #63 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #5 and Mason #56 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Leo was ranked #5 and Mason #26 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and Mason #25 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #10 and Mason #75 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #12 and Mason #61 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Leo and Mason over time
Leo and Mason appear together in 5 published lists, across 118 years of shared records. Leo held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Mason in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Mason reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Leo in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
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 2003, Leo moved ahead of Mason in England and Wales · Boys — #88 and #85 the year before became #77 and #87.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Leo and Mason changed places 6 times in New Zealand · Boys between 2003 and 2023, ending at #5 and #26.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Leo and Mason averaged 30.1 places apart, ending at #5 and #63.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Mason in 7.
Highest recorded here: Leo #5 in 2022, Mason #27 in 2013.
The order changed in 2003: Leo moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #88 and #85; by 2003 that had become #77 and #87.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #5, Mason #63.
Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1998–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Mason in 6.
Highest recorded here: Leo #6 in 2023, Mason #15 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #12, Mason #61.
Republic of Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1993–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Mason in 6.
Highest recorded here: Leo #10 in 2025, Mason #32 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #10, Mason #75.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023
Leo held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Mason in 11.
Highest recorded here: Leo #3 in 2019, Mason #4 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Leo #5, Mason #26.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Mason in 6.
Highest recorded here: Leo #3 in 2022, Mason #14 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #5, Mason #56.
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 | Mason |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Lion. | Originally an occupational surname/vocabulary word meaning 'stoneworker', later adopted as a given name. The deeper root of the word itself is disputed among etymologists — a Germanic (Frankish) origin versus an alternative Medieval Latin source. |
| Origin | Latin | English surname, from Old French masson/macon |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliːoʊ/ | /ˈmeɪsən/ |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #5 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #56 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Leo is recorded with a Latin origin, while Mason is recorded with a English surname, from Old French masson/macon origin.
- Leo has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Mason.
- Leo's recorded meaning differs from Mason's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, 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
Mason
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #339 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2000–2023
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New Zealand, in 2014 (recorded 2000–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #56 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys