Evans: ‘Dated’ name of Leona will likely rise again

Today is my mother’s 88th birthday. She was born Leona Frances Lively.

Leona is the feminine form of Leo or Leon, Latin and Greek forms of an ancient name meaning “lion.”

Leo became a famous name in 440 when Leo I was elected pope. Called Leo the Great, he was the first to assert the primacy of Rome within the Catholic Church.

In spite of Leo’s popularity, for many centuries Leona was extremely rare. The first example in Spain is found in a poem written in the late 1600s, though the name has never been common there.

The wealthy parents of the first famous Leona were born in Spain. Leona Vicario herself was born in Mexico City in 1789. Her parents gave their only daughter a fine education and encouraged her to think for herself.

Leona’s parents both died when she was 18, but her uncle allowed her to keep her own separate household. She used this freedom to spy for rebels working for Mexico’s independence, and supported them with her inheritance.

Arrested in 1813, Leona made a daring escape disguised as a mule skinner. She then married rebel leader Andres Quintana Roo, and their combined efforts for Mexican independence made her the most famous woman in Mexico.

In spite of Vicario’s fame, the name Leona never became popular in Mexico. Perhaps that’s because “leona” is Spanish for “lioness.” A correspondent from Puerto Rico told me she expects to find Leonas only in the zoo.

During the early 1800s Leona turned up occasionally as a baby name in England and Germany, but it became popular only in the United States. Between 1896 and 1921, Leona was among the top 100 names for American girls, peaking at 69th place in 1905.

The most famous American Leona was Leona Helmsley (1920-2007), a billionaire hotel owner known as the “Queen of Mean.” Helmsley is infamous for a conviction for income tax evasion and for leaving $12 million to her dog.

The most recent celebrity Leona is the English singer Leona Lewis. Since winning the British talent show “The X Factor” in 2006, Lewis has become incredibly popular. Her debut album “Spirit” was the fastest-selling recording ever in Britain, and was the first album by a solo British artist to be No. 1 in this country.

As a result, Leona has rapidly risen as a baby name in England. It ranked 208th there in 2008, while it hasn’t been among the top 1,000 names in the United States since 1981.

That may change in a few years, though.

I asked American posters on www.babynames.com and www.behind-thename.com their opinion of Leona. Those older than 30 unanimously disliked it, saying it sounded dated and reminded them of Helmsley. However, half of those younger than 25 said they liked the name and might give it to a daughter. So Leona will probably start rising again here in about a decade.

From my perspective, it couldn’t happen to a better name. Happy birthday, Mom!

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