2000
#7,376
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,165
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.54
Rare Last name
Leak
An English occupational surname referring to a person who thatches or repairs roofs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,876 Americans carry the last name Leak. That puts it at #7,540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,294 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leak 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 Leak with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 70,294
Census rank
#7,540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,252 bearers of the surname Leak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leak, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.9%. The next largest groups are White (29.7%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leak
The surname Leak originates from England and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "leac," meaning a garden vegetable or plant. It is thought to have been an occupational name for someone who grew or sold leeks or other vegetables.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for people with the name Leac or Le Leke, which are considered early variations of the modern surname Leak.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Leak is found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a John le Leke is mentioned. Another early reference is in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1272, which mentions a Thomas le Leke.
Over time, the name evolved from its Old English roots, with variations like Le Leke, Leyk, and Leyke appearing in different regions of England. The spelling Leak became more common in the 16th and 17th centuries.
A notable figure with the surname Leak was Sir Walter Leak (1555-1629), an English merchant and diplomat who served as the ambassador to the Ottoman Empire during the reign of King James I.
Another prominent individual was Richard Leak (1628-1695), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Principal of Magdalen Hall, Oxford, and was known for his writings on religious topics.
In the 18th century, Archibald Leak (1720-1785) was a Scottish merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Edinburgh, funding the construction of public buildings and supporting charitable causes.
The name Leak has also been associated with places in England, such as Leak Hall in Derbyshire, which dates back to the 16th century and was once the seat of a family with the surname Leak.
John Leak (1761-1834), a British naval officer and explorer, is remembered for his voyages to the Pacific and his efforts in mapping and charting remote islands and coastlines.
Throughout history, the surname Leak has been found in various regions of England, with concentrations in counties like Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, and Derbyshire, reflecting its origins and early recorded instances.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leak
Among Census respondents with the surname Leak, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.9%. The next largest groups are White (29.7%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Leak 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 Leak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American59.9% · 2,546
- White29.7% · 1,262
- Two or more races5.2% · 223
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 116
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 82
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leak
Leak 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
#6,684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,053
+888 bearers (+21.3%)
Per 100,000 1.71
Rank movement Up 692 places
2020
#7,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,252
-801 bearers (-15.9%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 856 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,376 | 4,165 | 1.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,684 | 5,053 | 1.71 | +888 bearers (+21.3%) | Up 692 places |
| 2020 | #7,540 | 4,252 | 1.42 | -801 bearers (-15.9%) | Down 856 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 Leak 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 | #6,684 | #7,540 | -12.8% |
| Count | 5,053 | 4,252 | -15.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.71 | 1.42 | -16.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leak bearers went from 5,053 to 4,252 (-15.9% change). The surname moved down 856 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,684 to #7,540.
FAQ
Leak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leak?
Name Census estimates that about 4,876 living Americans carry the surname Leak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,294 residents.
How common is Leak?
Leak ranks #7,540 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.42 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 4,252 people with the surname Leak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,876), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.42 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 Leak.
Has Leak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leak went from 5,053 recorded bearers to 4,252. That is a decrease of 801 (-15.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,684 to #7,540.
What does the Census say about the background of Leak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leak, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.9%. The next largest groups are White (29.7%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Leak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.9% (2,546 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (59.9%), White (29.7%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Leak (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 Leak mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who thatches or repairs roofs. 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 Leak (1.42 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 have the last name Leak?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Leak on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.