This is the 3615th most frequent French word.
leon
"Léon" is a French proper noun, often used as a masculine first name.
In this sentence, 'Léon' is used as a proper noun referring to a person's name.
Léon est un ami de longue date.
Léon is a long-time friend.
'Léon' here humorously personifies the lion by acting as a given name.
J'ai vu un lion, mais je pensais qu'il était un Léon.
I saw a lion, but I thought it was a Léon.
'Léon' identifies a specific actor by their first name, suggesting fame or recognition.