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

Leab, 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 Leab surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leab in America

Leab is the 86981st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leab surname appeared 214 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 Leab.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leab 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 Leab

The surname LEAB has its origins traced back to the Early Medieval period in the region of modern-day Germany. It is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "leib," which translates to "life" or "body." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for a robust or lively individual.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name LEAB was a landowner named Adelbert Leab, who was recorded in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, dating back to the 11th century. The name also appeared in the Zwettler Stiftbuch, a cartulary from the Zwettl Abbey in Lower Austria, which mentions a certain Friedrich Leab in the year 1287.

During the 14th century, the LEAB surname can be found in various records across German-speaking regions. For instance, a merchant named Hans Leab was documented in the city of Nuremberg in 1362. Around the same time, a soldier named Konrad Leab served in the army of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV.

The name LEAB was also associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Johann Leab (1565-1626), a German theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg. Another was Christoph Leab (1619-1685), a German composer and organist active in the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods.

In the 18th century, the LEAB surname gained prominence in the field of education. Johann Michael Leab (1728-1796) was a renowned German educator and author who served as the headmaster of the prestigious Thomasschule in Leipzig. His contemporary, Christian Friedrich Leab (1743-1818), was a notable philologist and rector of the Gymnasium in Altenburg.

As the LEAB family spread throughout Europe, variations of the name emerged, such as Leeb, Leb, and Leib. These alternative spellings can be found in historical records from various regions, including Austria, Switzerland, and parts of Eastern Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leab

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

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 Leab 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 Leab 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 Leab was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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