Word/name Central Europe | Related names | |
Leopold is an originally Germanic name composed of two stems, common to Germanic names. The first part is related to the Latin word "Leo", meaning "lion" (although some say the first part is related to Old High German "liut" meaning "people"). The Germanic peoples had no word for "lion" as they weren't aware of the existence of lions until they established contacts with the Romans. The second part is of Germanic origin and means "brave", compare "bold". The name hence originally meant something close to "as brave as a lion". The name has been observed since the 5th century, including by the Frank Gregory of Tours, and the name gradually spread across Western Europe and during the 16th century it became popular in the southern Holy Roman Empire, due to the influence of the Margraves of Austria from the Babenberg dynasty.
Over a dozen Austrian rulers took the name Leopold, as did nearly a dozen from other European realms.
Other notable people bearing this name include: