Leo vs Sebastian
Leo and Sebastiancompared 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 2025, Leo was ranked #3 and Sebastian #47 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #5 and Sebastian #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Leo was ranked #5 and Sebastian #52 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and Sebastian #116 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #10 and Sebastian #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #12 and Sebastian #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #28 and Sebastian #53 among boys in Norway.
Leo and Sebastian over time
Leo and Sebastian appear together in 6 published lists, across 181 years of shared records. Leo held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Sebastian 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.
Sebastian 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 2001, Leo moved ahead of Sebastian in England and Wales · Boys — #142 and #111 the year before became #101 and #106.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Leo and Sebastian averaged 35.3 places apart, ending at #3 and #47.
- Longest-running competitions
Leo and Sebastian were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #3 and #47.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Leo #3 in 2022, Sebastian #20 in 2022.
List by list
Norway · Boys50 shared years, 1972–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Sebastian in 46.
Highest recorded here: Leo #28 in 2025, Sebastian #6 in 2006.
The order changed in 2023: Leo moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #44 and #41; by 2023 that had become #36 and #47.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #28, Sebastian #53.
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1970–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Sebastian in 1.
Highest recorded here: Leo #10 in 2025, Sebastian #80 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #10, Sebastian #125.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Sebastian in 5.
Highest recorded here: Leo #3 in 2025, Sebastian #28 in 2018.
The order changed in 2001: Leo moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #142 and #111; by 2001 that had become #101 and #106.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #3, Sebastian #47.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1999–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Leo #6 in 2023, Sebastian #102 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #12, Sebastian #154.
New Zealand · Boys20 shared years, 2003–2023
Leo held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Sebastian in 1.
Highest recorded here: Leo #3 in 2019, Sebastian #52 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Leo #5, Sebastian #52.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Sebastian in 5.
Highest recorded here: Leo #3 in 2022, Sebastian #20 in 2022.
The order changed in 2014: Leo moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #38 and #34; by 2014 that had become #28 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #5, Sebastian #31.
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 | Sebastian |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Lion. | Traditionally interpreted as 'venerable' or 'revered' — from Latin Sebastianus, 'from Sebaste' (a city in Asia Minor), whose own name derives from a Greek word used to translate the Roman imperial title Augustus. |
| Origin | Latin | Latin, from Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliːoʊ/ | /səˈbæstʃən/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| 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 | England and Wales · Boys #3 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #31 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 65/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Leo is recorded with a Latin origin, while Sebastian is recorded with a Latin, from Greek origin.
- Leo has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Sebastian.
- Leo's recorded meaning differs from Sebastian'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 recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4867 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Sebastian
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #415 among boys in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1968–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1968–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #47 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys