Leal
Meaning faithful and loyal, of Spanish/Portuguese origin.
Name Census estimates that about 27 living Americans carry the first name Leal. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 51.1% of registrations being male. The average person named Leal today is around 54 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Leal births was 1982 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Leal. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Leal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
27
~ 1 in 12,694,605 Americans
Peak year
1982
8 babies that year
Average age
54
years old
1948 SSA rank
#3,967
Tracked since 1919
Census
Leal in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 258 people with the first name Leal, which placed it at #32,555 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#32,555
National first-name rank
People counted
258
258 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
49.6% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leal
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Leal is White at 49.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (24.0%) and Black (18.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Leal described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Leal at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White49.6% · 128
- Hispanic or Latino24.0% · 62
- Black or African American18.2% · 47
- Two or more races3.9% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 5
Gender
Gender distribution for Leal
Leal is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 47 total registrations, 24 (51.1%) were male and 23 (48.9%) were female.
Leal as a male name
- Ranked #3,967 in 1948
- 5 male births in 1948
- Peak: 1932 (7 births)
Leal as a female name
- Ranked #7,867 in 1982
- 8 female births in 1982
- Peak: 1982 (8 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Leal on both sides of the split. Of the 262 people counted with this name, 158 were male (60.3%) and 104 were female (39.7%).
Popularity
Leal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Leal from the 1910s through to the 1980s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 18 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Leal by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Leal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Leal
The name Leal has its origins in the Spanish and Portuguese languages, derived from the Latin word "legalis," meaning "legal" or "loyal." It emerged during the Middle Ages in the Iberian Peninsula, encompassing modern-day Spain and Portugal.
In Spanish and Portuguese cultures, the name Leal was often associated with loyalty, faithfulness, and honor. It was commonly used to describe individuals who exhibited these qualities or as a surname bestowed upon families or individuals who had proven their allegiance and devotion to a particular cause or ruler.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Leal can be found in the 13th century, when it appeared in medieval Spanish literature and historical documents. During this period, the name gained prominence among noble families and members of the knightly orders, who prized loyalty as a fundamental virtue.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Leal, contributing to its recognition and legacy. One such figure was Leal Conselheiro (1608-1659), a Portuguese nobleman and influential political advisor during the reign of King John IV. His loyalty and counsel played a crucial role in the establishment of the House of Braganza and the restoration of Portuguese independence.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Leal da Câmara (1876-1948), a Brazilian writer, journalist, and diplomat known for his literary works and contributions to Brazilian culture. His novels and essays explored themes of national identity and the human condition, earning him recognition as one of the most influential authors of his time.
In the realm of religion, Leal García de Vinuesa (1646-1708) was a Spanish Jesuit priest and missionary who traveled to South America, dedicating his life to evangelization and the education of indigenous populations. His unwavering commitment to his faith and the well-being of the communities he served earned him a reputation for loyalty and selflessness.
Another notable figure was Leal da Silva (1888-1966), a Portuguese military officer and politician who played a significant role in the Carnation Revolution of 1974. His loyalty to democratic principles and his advocacy for civil liberties made him a respected figure in the struggle against the authoritarian regime.
Lastly, Leal Soares (1942-2011) was a Brazilian businessman and philanthropist renowned for his commitment to social causes and his support for education and healthcare initiatives. His loyalty to his community and dedication to improving the lives of others left a lasting impact on Brazilian society.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Leal, each contributing to its legacy and reinforcing its association with loyalty, faithfulness, and honor across various cultures and contexts.
People
Leal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Leal as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Leal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Leal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 27 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Leal going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 12,694,605 US residents.
Is Leal a common name?
We classify Leal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 44.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 47 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Leal most popular?
The single biggest year for Leal was 1982, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Leal is about 54 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Leal in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 258 people with the name Leal, or 0.09 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #32,555 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Leal in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Leal?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Leal on both sides of the split. Of the 262 people counted with this name, 158 were male (60.3%) and 104 were female (39.7%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Leal?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Leal is White at 49.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (24.0%) and Black (18.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Leal most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Leal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.6% (128 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Leal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Leal a male name?
Yes, 51.1% of people registered as Leal in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Leal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Leal in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Leal can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people are called Leal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.