Fun Facts About the Name Lejon
- 240 babies named Lejon: U.S. records list 240 babies given the name Lejon from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Lejon Mean?
Lejon is the Swedish word for "lion," and as a name it carries that literal meaning rather than a symbolic one. The modern form goes back to Old Swedish leion (also leon), a borrowing made in the Middle Ages from Middle Low German, the language of the Hanseatic merchants whose vocabulary shaped a great deal of Swedish. That Germanic word descends from Latin leo, genitive leonem, "lion," the same ancient animal word that appears in Greek as leōn. The deeper origin of that term is uncertain: it has no clear Indo-European root and is usually described as coming from an older Mediterranean language.
Swedish users treat the name as the noun itself, not as a shortened or altered form of another personal name. The international given name Leon rests on the same ancient word for the lion, but it entered European naming through Greek and Latin rather than through the Swedish noun.
Lejon Name History & Origins
Lion imagery was established in Sweden before the spelling lejon became standard, and the two developed side by side. A crowned lion has been part of the Swedish royal arms since the Middle Ages, and the lion of the medieval royal line became one of the kingdom's recurring emblems. In the Thirty Years' War, the Swedish king Gustav II Adolf was widely called Lejonet från Norden, "the Lion of the North."
As a family name, Lejon is associated with the Swedish allotment system (indelningsverket), in which soldiers were assigned surnames by their officers. Animal names such as Lejon, Björn, and Falk were among the common choices, alongside nature words and terms for courage; many of these soldier names became fixed family names and survive in Sweden.
Lejon is also used as a masculine given name in Sweden, where it is uncommon. It belongs to the group of names taken directly from ordinary words rather than from saints' names or royal names, and it is separate from Swedish noble names built on Leijon-, such as Leijonhufvud, which were formed from the same animal word using an older spelling.
How Popular is the Name Lejon?
Lejon has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1972. Its best rank was #2,381 in 1972.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,130 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #13,243 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #13,211 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2005 | #10,930 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #12,006 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #11,623 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #7,177 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1999 | #8,371 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #10,622 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #5,507 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1995 | #8,437 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #5,303 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1993 | #5,622 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1992 | #5,108 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #7,846 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #6,875 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #7,660 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #6,391 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #4,977 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1980 | #4,009 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1978 | #4,037 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1977 | #4,420 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #4,245 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1975 | #2,709 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1974 | #4,039 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1973 | #3,143 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1972 | #2,381 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1971 | #3,823 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1970 | #3,698 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #4,209 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Lejon Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You always bring to completion anything you start. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. You have an executive ability, you are a leader. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. You always think before you act. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Lejon's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Lejon's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.