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

Leana, 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 Leana surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leana in America

Leana is the 88020th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leana surname appeared 211 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Leana.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leana 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 Leana

The surname LEANA is believed to have originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "lena," which means "a bawd" or "a procuress." The name likely referred to an occupation, with the original bearer being involved in some form of procuring or facilitating prostitution.

LEANA can be traced back to records from the 13th century in regions such as Tuscany and Umbria. The earliest known instance of the name appears in a 1249 document from the city of Perugia, where a certain "Iohannes Lena" is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the name's Latin roots.

In the 14th century, the name LEANA appeared in several historical documents from the Republic of Florence. For example, a 1372 registry lists a "Bartolomeo Leana" as a wealthy merchant and landowner in the city. This suggests that by this time, the name had gained respectability and was no longer solely associated with its unsavory origins.

The surname LEANA also has connections to various place names in Italy. One theory suggests that it may have originated from the town of Lena, located in the province of Nuoro, Sardinia. However, the exact link between the surname and this particular location remains uncertain.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname LEANA include:

1. Giovanni Leana (c. 1450-1520), a renowned Renaissance painter from Genoa, whose works can be found in churches and galleries across Italy.
2. Francesca Leana (1556-1638), a writer and poet from Siena who gained recognition for her sonnets and odes.
3. Benedetto Leana (1624-1697), a Jesuit priest and philosopher from Naples who wrote extensively on metaphysics and natural theology.
4. Caterina Leana (1718-1792), a prominent figure in the Enlightenment era, known for her salons and contributions to the intellectual discourse of her time in Milan.
5. Ettore Leana (1873-1951), an Italian sculptor and artist whose works were exhibited in various international exhibitions in the early 20th century.

While the surname LEANA may have had humble and even unsavory beginnings, it has since evolved and become a respected name throughout Italy, with bearers making significant contributions across various fields, from art and literature to religion and philosophy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leana

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Leana, 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!