Leonard?

Boy Names
1

I only know [name_m]Leonard[/name_m] pronounced [name_m]Leo[/name_m]-nard.
However I watch the show “Big Bang [name_m]Theory[/name_m]” and they pronounce it [name_m]Lenn[/name_m]-ard.
I first didn’t get that it was supposed to be [name_m]Leonard[/name_m] as the way they pronounce it would be the name [name_m]Lennard[/name_m] to me.
Why would they just drop the “o”?

My question: [name_m]How[/name_m] do you pronounce [name_m]Leonard[/name_m] and if you “skip” the “o” why do you do that?

2

I always pronounced it lee-oh-nard but since I’ve heard lay-oh-nard as in [name_m]Leonard[/name_m] Nimoy, and lenn-ard as [name_m]Leonard[/name_m] [name_m]Cohen[/name_m]. I guess it all depends.

3

I always assumed [name_m]Leonard[/name_m] (pronounced [name_m]Lennard[/name_m]) was an Anglicization of [name_m]Leonardo[/name_m], but I’ve never really looked into it.