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

Leard, 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 Leard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leard in America

Leard is the 22113th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leard surname appeared 1,170 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 Leard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leard 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 Leard

The surname Leard has its origins in Northern France, particularly in the region of Normandy. It dates back to the 11th century and is believed to be derived from the Old French word "liard," which referred to a small coin of low value. This suggests that the name may have originally been a nickname for someone who dealt in low-value currency or had a reputation for being frugal or miserly.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Leard can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a certain "Radulfus Liard" as a landowner in the county of Dorset. This indicates that the name had already spread to England by the late 11th century, likely due to the Norman conquest.

In the 12th century, the name appears in various records across Normandy and other parts of Northern France. For example, a charter from 1165 mentions a "Robertus Liard" as a witness to a land transaction in the village of Longueville. The name also appears in different spellings, such as "Liart" and "Lyard," reflecting the variations in dialect and orthography at the time.

During the 13th century, the name Leard began to spread across other parts of Europe, particularly in England and Scotland. One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Leard, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.

Another significant figure with the surname Leard was William Leard, an English merchant and explorer who was part of the expedition led by Sir Walter Raleigh to establish the colony of Roanoke in present-day North Carolina in 1585. Leard's detailed accounts of the voyage and the interactions with Native Americans provide valuable historical insights.

In the 17th century, the name Leard appears in various records in England, including the Parish Registers of Yorkshire, where a family named Leard was prominent landowners and farmers. One notable member of this family was Thomas Leard (1628-1701), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist who endowed several schools and churches in the region.

Moving into the 18th century, the name Leard became more widespread across Europe and the Americas. One notable figure was Jacques Leard (1745-1823), a French philosopher and writer who was a prominent advocate of the Enlightenment ideals of reason, liberty, and progress.

These examples illustrate the rich history and geographical spread of the surname Leard, which has its roots in the Norman heritage of Northern France and has left its mark across various parts of Europe and the New World over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leard

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

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

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

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