BUENOS AIRES: Argentine families registered the name Lionel 25,507 times in the 2020s, making it one of the country’s most popular boys’ names.
Figures from the National Registry of Persons (RENAPER) rank Lionel 12th among male names recorded during the period.
The name is linked to football star Lionel Messi, whose success with Argentina has attracted generations of supporters.
However, the registration figures do not identify why parents selected particular names. They cannot establish how many families drew inspiration from the former Argentina captain.
Benjamín leads the boys’ ranking with 58,289 registrations, followed by Mateo with 50,149 and Gael with 39,815. Other popular choices include Bautista, Valentín and Nicolás.
Lionel ranks immediately below Noah, which recorded 26,127 registrations, and above Benicio. Messi’s international achievements provide a notable backdrop to the figures.
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Argentina won the Copa América in 2021, ending a 28-year wait for a major senior international title. The national team then claimed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar before securing another Copa América title in 2024.
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Those victories strengthened Messi’s standing among Argentine football supporters. Nevertheless, available naming records do not show a direct link between those successes and Lionel’s popularity.
Enzo, another name associated with Argentina’s football team, ranks 19th with 21,396 registrations.
