2000
#9,822
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,038
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Leaf
An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a meadow or clearing in the woods.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,321 Americans carry the last name Leaf. That puts it at #10,571 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,208 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leaf surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Leaf with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 103,208
Census rank
#10,571
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,896 bearers of the surname Leaf in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10571st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leaf, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leaf
Among Census respondents with the surname Leaf, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Leaf bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Leaf surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.9% · 2,402
- Two or more races4.5% · 130
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 123
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.4% · 99
- Black or African American3.1% · 89
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 53
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leaf
Leaf appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,358
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,111
+73 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 536 places
2020
#10,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,896
-215 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 213 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,822 | 3,038 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,358 | 3,111 | 1.05 | +73 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 536 places |
| 2020 | #10,571 | 2,896 | 0.97 | -215 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 213 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Leaf surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,358 | #10,571 | -2.1% |
| Count | 3,111 | 2,896 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 0.97 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leaf bearers went from 3,111 to 2,896 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 213 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,358 to #10,571.
FAQ
Leaf surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leaf?
Name Census estimates that about 3,321 living Americans carry the surname Leaf. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,208 residents.
How common is Leaf?
Leaf ranks #10,571 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,896 people with the surname Leaf. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,321), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Leaf.
Has Leaf become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leaf went from 3,111 recorded bearers to 2,896. That is a decrease of 215 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,358 to #10,571.
What does the Census say about the background of Leaf?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leaf, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (4.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Leaf in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (2,402 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leaf appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.9%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Hispanic (4.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Leaf (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Leaf mean?
An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a meadow or clearing in the woods. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Leaf (0.97 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Leaf?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.