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

Leben, 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 Leben surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leben in America

Leben is the 57639th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leben surname appeared 353 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 Leben.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leben 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 Leben

The surname "Leben" is of German origin, derived from the Old High German word "lebōn," which means "to live" or "to be alive." This surname likely originated in the 12th or 13th century in various regions of German-speaking Europe.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Leben" can be found in medieval records from Bavaria and Swabia, where it was sometimes spelled as "Laben" or "Leber." One notable figure with this surname was Johann Leben, a 15th-century German scholar and theologian born in Nuremberg (c. 1435 - c. 1506).

In the 16th century, the surname "Leben" appeared in various town and village records throughout southern Germany, indicating its spread across the region. One example is Hans Leben, a farmer from the village of Steinbach in Württemberg, who was mentioned in a land registry document from 1572.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname "Leben" gained some prominence in the German-speaking world. Johann Gottfried Leben (1671-1732) was a German composer and organist from Saxony, known for his contributions to church music. Another notable figure was Johann Friedrich Leben (1737-1806), a German jurist and legal scholar from Hesse.

As German emigrants began to spread across Europe and North America in the 19th century, the surname "Leben" traveled with them. Carl Leben (1819-1892) was a German-American engineer and inventor who settled in Philadelphia and is credited with developing some early designs for streetcars and elevated railroads.

In more recent times, the name "Leben" has been associated with individuals from various fields. Gerhard Leben (1880-1965) was a German army officer and military theorist who served in both World Wars. Robert Leben (1920-2001) was an American lawyer and judge who served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

While these examples highlight some notable individuals with the surname "Leben," it is important to note that the name has been carried by countless families and individuals throughout history, each with their own unique stories and contributions to their respective communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leben

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

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

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

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