Leander

Leander m

Latin form of the Greek name Leandros, which is composed of the elements leön lion + anēr (genitive andros) man. In Greek legend, Leander is the name of a hero who swam across the Hellespont every night to visit his beloved, Hero, and back again in the morning, but was eventually drowned during a violent storm. In Christian times, the name was borne by a 6th-century saint, the brother of Sts Fulgentius, Isidore, and Florentina. He was a leading ecclesiastical figure of his day, a friend of Gregory the Great, and became archbishop of Seville. In modern times, the name has occasionally been used as an elaboration of LEE (SEE Lee) (as a male name). In addition, Dunkling has recorded at least one instance of its use as a female name.

Cognates: French: Léandre. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Leandro.