I love the nickname [name_m]Leo[/name_m], but don’t like any of the obvious full names for it at all!
[name_m]Leonard[/name_m]: is dated and doesn’t have the “[name_m]Leo[/name_m]” sound
[name_m]Leonardo[/name_m]: the “nardo” really doesn’t appeal to me
[name_m]Leonidas[/name_m]: I think it’s too much for a modern-day kid (or a man, really)
[name_m]Leopold[/name_m]: I don’t love the look of it. Makes me think of polio.
[name_m]Leander[/name_m]: Eh. Used to like it, now disenchanted.
[name_m]Galileo[/name_m]: I briefly contemplated this, before deciding [name_m]Galileo[/name_m] is a one-person-only kind of name. Think [name_m]Michelangelo[/name_m]. [name_f]Beyonce[/name_f]. (Though [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] is my favorite boy’s name.)
Of these, I’m leaning toward [name_m]Leonidas[/name_m] and [name_m]Leopold[/name_m].
But I already love [name_u]Lionel[/name_u], and it’s a leonine name like [name_m]Leo[/name_m]… Could [name_m]Leo[/name_m] be a nickname for [name_u]Lionel[/name_u]?
What do you think? What other names would you use to get to [name_m]Leo[/name_m], or would you just go with [name_m]Leo[/name_m] as a full name?
[name_u]Lionel[/name_u] Messi goes by [name_m]Leo[/name_m], so I feel like it’s pretty well known as a nickname option.
[name_f]My[/name_f] personal favourite long form of [name_m]Leo[/name_m] is [name_m]Leopold[/name_m]. [name_f]My[/name_f] boyfriend says no to [name_m]Leopold[/name_m], but loves [name_m]Leonardo[/name_m]. So we’ve compromised on [name_m]Leo[/name_m] as the given name.
That being said, I know an Argentinian named [name_m]Leo[/name_m], pronounced “LEH-o” (like Messi, too), and I much prefer it that way, but would still use the English version.
I adore [name_u]Lionel[/name_u] (it’s 3rd on my list!). I prefer the nickname [name_u]Lyle[/name_u] for [name_u]Lionel[/name_u] or no nickname at all. [name_m]Leo[/name_m] works, but it’s not intuitive so it may take some effort to make it stick. I love [name_m]Leo[/name_m], but I don’t love its popularity (it’s in the top 20 here in the UK :(). If I were to use the nickname [name_m]Leo[/name_m], I would use [name_m]Leopold[/name_m], I love its regal feel, and it doesn’t make me think of polio at all. But, if that bothers you, I also like [name_m]Leonidas[/name_m].
Hmm… I like [name_u]Lyle[/name_u] for [name_u]Lionel[/name_u], though it wouldn’t have occurred to me. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think the shared letters in [name_u]Lionel[/name_u]/[name_m]Leo[/name_m] are close enough to make it a nn? Also, I thought of the Spanish [name_m]Leonel[/name_m], but I’m not Spanish so I think it might be a bit odd for me to use that one.
[name_f]My[/name_f] ex fiancées name is [name_m]Leo[/name_m]. His mom paired [name_m]Leo[/name_m] with a long middle name since [name_m]Leo[/name_m] is quite short. [name_m]Leo[/name_m] [name_m]Alexander[/name_m]. When he got older his friends nn him [name_m]Nardo[/name_m] even though his full nam was [name_m]Leo[/name_m], not [name_m]Leonardo[/name_m].
I prefer simply [name_m]Leo[/name_m] because all of the “full names” for it seem like too much for such a great name.
I definitely can see [name_m]Leo[/name_m] for [name_u]Lionel[/name_u], and prefer it over [name_u]Lyle[/name_u] and all other [name_m]Leo[/name_m] variations. [name_m]Leonidas[/name_m] seems like a hard name for a boy to wear, and it reminds me too much of 300. [name_m]Leopold[/name_m] is so so for me.
If you like [name_m]Leonel[/name_m] I’d use it despite not being Spanish. I considered using [name_f]Sofia[/name_f] and [name_m]Mateo[/name_m] despite not having any Spanish heritage. [name_m]Leonel[/name_m] isn’t a name that when I hear it I automatically think “That’s a Spanish name.”
I have to say, it’s one of my all-time biggest name peeves to see people using an actual name as a nickname. For example, [name_m]Liam[/name_m] as a nn for [name_m]William[/name_m]. No. They are both separate, distinct names. Or [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] as a nn for [name_m]Hugh[/name_m]! It just bugs me.
[name_m]Leo[/name_m] can be its own name, or a short-form (diminutive) for names beginning with [name_m]Leo[/name_m]. [name_m]Leo[/name_m] is simply not a nn for [name_u]Lionel[/name_u], in my humble opinion, sorry!
[name_m]Liam[/name_m] comes from [name_m]William[/name_m], of course it’s an acceptable nickname! ([name_f]IMO[/name_f])
Anyway, it would bother me too much going from [name_m]Lio[/name_m] to [name_m]Leo[/name_m]–different sound and different spelling. I would prefer it spelled [name_m]Lio[/name_m] coming from [name_u]Lionel[/name_u].
[name_m]Leo[/name_m] is chic on its own these days.
i would also suggest [name_m]Leonel[/name_m] (pronounced [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-oh-nel) instead of [name_u]Lionel[/name_u] because I read it (lie-null). It does have Spanish roots, but its not one of those names that you’d have to be Spanish to use it like [name_m]Joaquin[/name_m] or something.
Another option would be [name_m]Leandro[/name_m]. Its a nice simple name where [name_m]Leo[/name_m] can still be used as a nickname.
Although… when you think about it in terms of meaning, why shouldn’t [name_m]Leo[/name_m] be a nickname for [name_u]Lionel[/name_u]? I changed my mind!
If [name_m]Leo[/name_m] is too much of a nn for you, [name_m]Leon[/name_m] might work as well.
Though honestly I think [name_u]Lionel[/name_u] works just fine. It makes me think that it progressed from [name_u]Lionel[/name_u] -> [name_m]Lion[/name_m] -> [name_m]Leo[/name_m]. It totally makes sense without being overly convoluted.
