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

Leão, 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 Leão surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leão in America

Leão is the 48256th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leão surname appeared 438 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 Leão.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leão 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 Leão

The surname LEAO originated in Portugal during the medieval period. It is derived from the Portuguese word "leão," meaning "lion." This surname likely had its roots in the use of heraldic symbols or nicknames associated with lion-like characteristics such as courage, strength, or bravery.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the LEAO surname can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a medieval Portuguese genealogical source dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions individuals bearing the LEAO surname, indicating its presence in the region during that time.

Another historical reference to the LEAO name can be found in the "Livro das Lezírias," a 14th-century document that records land ownership and transactions in the Lezíria region of Portugal. Several individuals with the LEAO surname are listed in this record, suggesting their involvement in agricultural or landed activities.

In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the LEAO surname was João Leão, a Portuguese explorer and navigator who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1497-1499. João Leão played a crucial role in this expedition, which opened up maritime trade routes between Europe and the East.

Another prominent individual with the LEAO surname was Duarte Leão, a 16th-century Portuguese author and grammarian. He is best known for his work "Origem da Língua Portuguesa" (Origin of the Portuguese Language), which is considered one of the earliest comprehensive studies of the Portuguese language.

In the 17th century, Miguel Leão Coelho was a renowned Portuguese architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Convent of São Bento in Lisbon. His architectural works exemplified the Baroque style prevalent during that era.

Throughout its history, the LEAO surname has been associated with various regions and localities within Portugal. Some examples include the town of Leão da Barca, located in the district of Coimbra, and the village of Leão, situated in the municipality of Ourém.

While the LEAO surname originated in Portugal, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and exploration, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields across different time periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leão

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

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

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

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