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

Leader, 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 Leader surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leader in America

Leader is the 9563rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leader surname appeared 3,399 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Leader.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leader 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 Leader

The surname Leader originates from England, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word 'laedere,' meaning 'leader' or 'guide.' The name likely originated as an occupational surname for someone who held a position of authority or leadership within their community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Leader can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

During the medieval period, the Leader surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. Some early spellings of the name included Leadere, Ledere, and Leder, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common in those times.

Notable individuals with the surname Leader throughout history include Sir Robert Leader (1532-1616), an English landowner and member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Richard Leader (1756-1836), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

In the 19th century, John Leader (1828-1893) was a successful businessman and founder of the Leader & Sons brewery in Yorkshire, England. The company's notable beer brands, such as Leader's Premium and Leader's Smooth, remain popular to this day.

Across the Atlantic, William Leader (1843-1923) was a prominent American businessman and politician who served as the 23rd Governor of Colorado from 1915 to 1919. He played a significant role in the development of the state's mining and agricultural industries.

Another notable figure was Sir Willoughby Clark Leader (1889-1967), a British civil servant and diplomat who served as the Governor of Victoria, Australia, from 1949 to 1954.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leader

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

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

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

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