Leander
/liˈændər/noun
A masculine given name, especially associated with the young lover in the Greek myth of Hero and Leander.
Did you know?In the myth, Leander crossed the Hellespont each night guided by Hero’s lamp until a storm extinguished it and he drowned.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lew-
“Lion; the first element ultimately associated with Greek léōn”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λέων (léōn)
“Lion”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀνήρ (anḗr), genitive ἀνδρός (andrós)
“Man or male; the second element of the name”
Classical Greek
Greek
Λέανδρος (Léandros)
“Leander, literally formed from “lion” and “man””
2nd–3rd Century
Greek
Leander
“The mythological lover who swam the Hellespont to visit Hero”
Medieval English
English
Leander
“A learned personal name preserved through retellings of the classical myth”
Modern English
English
Leander
“A masculine given name”