Leonel

Little lion

Leonel is a masculine name used in Spanish and Portuguese. Its meaning, “little lion,” comes through Lionel, the French diminutive of Léon. The diminutive adds an affectionate shade to the lion image; it does not make Leonel only a childhood pet name. In Spanish, say /le.o.ˈnel/: three syllables, with the emphasis on the last. Keep the opening e and o separate. Lionel is a related form, but replacing the e with i changes the written identity; the two spellings need not have the same pronunciation across languages. The repeated l sounds give Leonel a smooth outline, while the stressed ending keeps it from drifting away. To our ear, it has a gentle, classic quality without feeling stiff. It may appeal if you like the spare look of Leo but want a name with a more unfolding rhythm. With another name ending in -el, that shared ending can sound deliberately echoing; a different ending gives each name more space.

Etymology: Spanish and Portuguese form of Lionel, a French diminutive of Léon in the lion-name family.