New pope chooses Leo as name, here's how common that is
Updated: 4:15 PM CDT May 8, 2025
Newly elected as pope, Robert Prevost has chosen Leo XIV as his papal name. No pope has been named Leo since the early 1900s. The most recent, Pope Leo XIII, served as supreme pontiff from 1878 to 1903.As his new name suggests, Prevost is the 14th pope to select the name Leo. Leo is tied as the fourth most common papal name, alongside Clement. The most common papal name is John, followed by Gregory and Benedict. Although there has been a Pope John XXIII, there have only been 21 legitimate popes named John. That's because John XVI was an antipope, and John XX was skipped due to a clerical error.Similarly, even though there was Pope Benedict XVI in the 2000s, there have only been 15 legitimate popes named Benedict, as the tenth was declared an antipope. Among the odd Benedict facts, Pope Benedict IX was the only person to serve as pope multiple times. He was the 145th, 147th and 150th pope. PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
VATICAN CITY, — Newly elected as pope, Robert Prevost has chosen Leo XIV as his papal name.
No pope has been named Leo since the early 1900s. The most recent, Pope Leo XIII, served as supreme pontiff from 1878 to 1903.
As his new name suggests, Prevost is the 14th pope to select the name Leo.
Leo is tied as the fourth most common papal name, alongside Clement. The most common papal name is John, followed by Gregory and Benedict.
Although there has been a Pope John XXIII, there have only been 21 legitimate popes named John. That's because John XVI was an antipope, and John XX was skipped due to a clerical error.
Similarly, even though there was Pope Benedict XVI in the 2000s, there have only been 15 legitimate popes named Benedict, as the tenth was declared an antipope.
Among the odd Benedict facts, Pope Benedict IX was the only person to serve as pope multiple times. He was the 145th, 147th and 150th pope.