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

Leask, 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 Leask surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leask in America

Leask is the 38691st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leask surname appeared 571 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 Leask.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leask 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 Leask

The surname Leask is believed to have originated in Scotland, specifically in the Shetland Islands. It is thought to have derived from the Old Norse word "ljostr," which means "creek" or "inlet." The name was likely given to those who lived near a small body of water or a coastal inlet.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Leask can be found in the Orkneyinga Saga, a historical narrative of the Orkney and Shetland islands written in the early 13th century. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by that time.

In the 16th century, the Leask family was known to have been landowners in the parish of Delting, located in the Shetland Islands. One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was John Leask, who was born in Delting around 1550.

The name Leask has also been associated with the village of Laxfirth, which was formerly known as Leaskfirth or Leaskquoy. This village is situated in the Shetland Islands, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and the local geography.

Over the centuries, the surname Leask has been subject to variations in spelling, including Lesk, Lesque, and Lask. These variations can be found in historical records and documents from different regions of Scotland.

Notable individuals with the surname Leask include:

1. James Leask (1808-1888), a Scottish minister and author from the Shetland Islands.
2. William Leask (1834-1897), a Scottish-Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
3. Mary Leask (1860-1940), a Scottish artist and painter known for her portraits and landscapes.
4. John Leask (1887-1965), a Scottish footballer who played as a forward for several clubs in the early 20th century.
5. Alexander Leask (1901-1981), a Scottish trade unionist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom.

These examples highlight the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals bearing the surname Leask throughout history, reflecting its Scottish origins and the enduring legacy of this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leask

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

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

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

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