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

Leal, 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 Leal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leal in America

Leal is the 969th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leal surname appeared 35,958 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Leal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leal 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 Leal

The surname LEAL has its origins in Spain and Portugal, where it is believed to have first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Spanish and Portuguese word "leal," which means "loyal" or "faithful." The name was likely originally given as a descriptive surname to someone who was considered to be a loyal or trustworthy person.

In Spain, one of the earliest recorded mentions of the name LEAL can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrias de Castilla, a medieval census document from the 14th century. The document lists several individuals with the surname LEAL residing in various parts of Castile.

One notable historical figure with the surname LEAL was Pedro Núñez Leal, a 15th-century Spanish navigator and explorer. He was born in Seville around 1450 and is credited with being one of the first Europeans to explore the coast of West Africa, where he established Portuguese trading posts.

Another prominent individual with the surname LEAL was Juan Leal de Ibarra, a 16th-century Spanish conquistador and explorer. He was born in Seville around 1520 and participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés. He later became a prominent landowner and government official in New Spain (present-day Mexico).

In Portugal, the surname LEAL was also prevalent, particularly in the northern regions of the country. One notable Portuguese figure with this surname was Duarte Leal, a 16th-century poet and dramatist who was born in Lisbon around 1550. He is best known for his works in the Spanish Golden Age tradition.

Elsewhere in Europe, the surname LEAL can be found in regions with historical connections to Spain and Portugal, such as parts of Italy and France. For example, in the 17th century, there was a notable Italian painter named Pietro Leal who was active in Rome and Naples.

Additionally, the surname LEAL has been recorded in various Latin American countries, reflecting the Spanish and Portuguese colonial influence in the region. One prominent figure with this surname was Juan Leal, a Venezuelan politician and diplomat who served as the country's ambassador to the United States in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leal

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!