Leonel is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Lionel, a medieval French diminutive of Leon that means "little lion" or "young lion". Sir Lionel was one of the knights of King Arthur's Round Table, and the Spanish form is familiar to American soccer fans through Lionel Messi, whose name is often spelled Leonel in Latin America. In the United States Leonel has been in the top 1000 throughout this century, rising from number 524 in 2000 to number 350 in 2025.