NAME OF THE DAY: Leo

With the new Pope's name on everyone's lips, today I will be discussing the name: Leo.  

Pope Leo XIV's birth name is Robert (ironic his middle name is the same as his predecessor, Francis)  Prevost. Pope Leo is not the first pope named Leo but the 14th. National Geographic details the history of the first Pope named Leo, Leo I, becoming so in A.D. 440. He was the first of three popes in all of history who earned the title "the Great."  

The name Leo means: 'lion' in Latin. Behind the Name cites it can be a short form of longer names that start with Leo, such as Leonard (or Leonardo). It also is a cognate of the name Leon. Leo is usually a boy's name but on rare occasions Leo is sometimes given as a girl's name! (although often a shortened form of another name: Leonora for example or perhaps for the zodiac sign Leo)    

The name Leo "is a deep sign of commitment to social issues," says Natalia Imperatori-Lee, the chair of religious studies at Manhattan University. Because of that, Pope Leo XIV's choice of name also suggests a continuation of much of Pope Francis' ministry.    

Pope Leo XIV says  on his papal name choice: "I chose to take the name Leo XIV. There are different reasons for this, but mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution."

I like the name Leo. It's strong, has a rich history yet a bit of flair to it, especially for a pope in 2025.  

Check out the informative read: What's In The Encyclical That Inspired Pope Leo's Name? 

To read more on the long history of the name Leo from a papal standpoint click here    

⭐FAMOUS & 📝NOTEWORTHY 📛LEOS:

📛Leo Tolstoy ✍🏻 (writer)

📛Leonardo "Leo" DiCaprio 👱‍♂️ (actor)  

📛Leo Rossi 👨🏻(actor)

📛Leo McElhenney 👦 (son of actor Rob McElhenney) 

♀️Female Version of 📛LEO:

📛Leona

💭I assumed Lea would be the feminine form of Leo but it isn't. 🤦🏾‍♀️ Leona means 'lioness' which complements Leo meaning 'lion.' Although Leona is a nice enough name, I'm not liking it as much as I like the masculine form Leo.  

📌STATS ON THE NAME 📛LEO:

https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/L/LE/LEO/index.html

☔📛IRN RATING OF 📛Leo: 👍 OR 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙/10 

NAME OF THE DAY: Francis

RIP to Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope, who died today.   

I was unaware until upon researching the meaning of  the name "Francis" - that Francis was not the late Pope's birth name. His birth name was: Jorge Mario Bergoglio. "The Argentinian cardinal chose his papal name in honour of St Francis of Assisi, was also praised for his progressive attitude and humility. Pope Francis said St Francis inspired him as 'the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation'."

Behind the Name says, the name Francis is from the: "Latin name Franciscus meaning "Frenchman", ultimately from the Germanic tribe of the Franks, who were named for a type of spear that they used (Proto-Germanic *frankô). This name was borne by the 13th-century Saint Francis of Assisi."

Very interestingly, Francis is derived from a name that means 'Frenchman' yet in the country of France, the name Francis is somehow not popular for baby boys. It is not on Nameberry's Most Popular Names In France most recent list. 

Francis is a unisex name, although 91% of the time, Francis is used as a boy's name. I've never met a Francis so far but I have met a Frances.

Frances vs Francis: What's The Difference? from a Grammar standpoint.

To read up on more how Popes pick their name click here

⭐FAMOUS & 📝NOTEWORTHY 📛FRANCISES:

📛Francis Scott Key 🎼 & ⚖ (poet & lawyer)

📛F. (Francis) Scott Fitzgerald ✍🏻 (writer)

📛Francis Ford Coppola 🎥 (film director)   

♀️Female Version of 📛FRANCIS:

📛FRANCES

💭The feminine version sounds the same as the masculine version. I'm neutral about it as it's an unassuming name. I've met two Franceses in my life: one was a school classmate, the other was the wife of a pastor at my family's old church growing up, both nice people. 👌 

📌STATS ON THE NAME 📛Francis:

https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/F/FR/FRANCIS/index.html

☔📛IRN RATING OF 📛Francis: 👍 OR 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙/10