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

Leaf, 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 Leaf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leaf in America

Leaf is the 10358th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leaf surname appeared 3,111 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 Leaf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leaf 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 Leaf

The surname LEAF is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'leaf', meaning a leaf or foliage, likely referring to someone who lived near a particular tree or wooded area. The name was initially used as a descriptive nickname before becoming a hereditary surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LEAF can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where a Roger Lef is mentioned. The spelling variations in early records include Lef, Lefe, and Lefve, reflecting the evolution of the name over time.

In the 13th century, the surname LEAF appeared in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a William le Lef in Oxfordshire. The prefix 'le' was commonly used in medieval times to indicate a descriptive surname.

During the 14th century, the name was found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Lefe was recorded in 1317. This period also saw the emergence of place-names associated with the surname, such as Leafield in Oxfordshire and Leafy Lane in Hertfordshire.

Notable individuals with the surname LEAF throughout history include John Leaf (1572-1644), an English author and translator known for his work on the Roman philosopher Seneca. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Leaf (1592-1670), an English politician and lawyer who served as a member of Parliament during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, William Leaf (1722-1816) was a renowned British architect responsible for designing several buildings in London, including the iconic Freemasons' Hall. During the same period, Walter Leaf (1852-1927), a British classical scholar and diplomat, made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek literature.

Lastly, the 20th century saw the rise of Sir Hubert Leaf (1887-1969), a British civil servant who served as the Governor of British Guiana (now Guyana) from 1933 to 1938, playing a crucial role in the colony's administration during that time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leaf

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

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

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

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