Find out how popular the last name De Leeuw is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named De Leeuw.

De Leeuw, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the De Leeuw surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of De Leeuw in America

De Leeuw is the 23432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The De Leeuw surname appeared 1,085 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname De Leeuw.

We can also compare 2010 data for De Leeuw to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name De Leeuw

The surname DELEEUW is of Dutch origin, derived from the Old Dutch words "de" meaning "the" and "leeuw" meaning "lion". It likely originated in the Netherlands during the medieval period, possibly as a descriptive nickname for someone with lion-like qualities or characteristics.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the DELEEUW surname can be found in the Leiden census records of 1501, where a Jan DELEEUW is listed as a resident of the city. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the early 16th century.

In the 17th century, the DELEEUW name appeared in various Dutch records and documents, including the baptismal registers of the Dutch Reformed Church in Amsterdam. Notable individuals from this time period include Pieter DELEEUW (1628-1701), a prominent Amsterdam merchant and member of the city's governing council.

The DELEEUW surname also has a connection to the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia), where several individuals bearing the name were involved in the colonial administration and trade activities of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). One such person was Hendrik DELEEUW (1687-1747), who served as a VOC official in Batavia (now Jakarta) in the early 18th century.

As the Dutch colonial empire expanded, the DELEEUW surname spread to other parts of the world, including South Africa, where it was introduced by Dutch settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries. One notable South African bearer of the name was Johannes DELEEUW (1809-1891), a prominent farmer and landowner in the Eastern Cape region.

In the 19th century, the DELEEUW name also found its way to the United States and Canada, where it was carried by Dutch immigrants seeking new opportunities. One such individual was Dirk DELEEUW (1825-1901), a Dutch-born farmer who settled in Michigan in the mid-1800s and established a successful agricultural business.

Throughout its history, the DELEEUW surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, including merchants, farmers, administrators, and artists. Notable bearers of the name in more recent times include the Dutch painter and sculptor Theo DELEEUW (1909-1988) and the Belgian author and poet Renée DELEEUW (1925-2010).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name De Leeuw

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname De Leeuw.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for De Leeuw was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of De Leeuw has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name De Leeuw was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of De Leeuw, please contact us.

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