2000
#12,418
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,292
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Lebo
A surname of French origin, derived from the Old French word "le beau," meaning "the handsome one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,515 Americans carry the last name Lebo. That puts it at #13,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 136,284 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lebo surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 136,284
Census rank
#13,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,193 bearers of the surname Lebo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lebo, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lebo
The surname LEBO is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the Normandy region, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from an Old French word, "lieb," meaning "beloved" or "dear." This suggests that the name was likely initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for a person who was well-liked or held in high regard within their community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LEBO can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a certain "Robertus Lebo" as a landowner in the county of Dorset, indicating that the name had already spread to England by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name LEBO was Pierre Lebo, a French knight who participated in the Seventh Crusade led by King Louis IX of France. Pierre Lebo is mentioned in several contemporary chronicles as a valiant warrior who fought bravely in the battles against the Saracens in the Holy Land.
During the 15th century, a branch of the LEBO family settled in the town of Lebouville, located in the Normandy region of France. The town's name is believed to have been derived from the family's surname, suggesting their prominence in the area.
In the 17th century, Jean-Baptiste Lebo (1616-1683) was a renowned French engraver and printmaker who produced intricate works of art depicting religious scenes and portraits of notable figures of his time.
Another noteworthy individual with the surname LEBO was Charles-François Lebo (1744-1822), a French architect who designed several prominent buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Sulpice and the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur.
Over time, the name LEBO has also been recorded with various spellings, such as Leboue, Leboef, and Leboeuf, reflecting the linguistic evolution and regional variations within France and other areas where the name has spread.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lebo
Among Census respondents with the surname Lebo, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lebo bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lebo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 2,049
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 69
- Two or more races1.9% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 16
- Black or African American0.7% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lebo
Lebo appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,314
+22 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 792 places
2020
#13,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,193
-121 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 99 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,418 | 2,292 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,210 | 2,314 | 0.78 | +22 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 792 places |
| 2020 | #13,309 | 2,193 | 0.73 | -121 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 99 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lebo surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,210 | #13,309 | -0.7% |
| Count | 2,314 | 2,193 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.73 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lebo bearers went from 2,314 to 2,193 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 99 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,210 to #13,309.
FAQ
Lebo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lebo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,515 living Americans carry the surname Lebo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 136,284 residents.
How common is Lebo?
Lebo ranks #13,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,193 people with the surname Lebo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,515), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lebo.
Has Lebo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lebo went from 2,314 recorded bearers to 2,193. That is a decrease of 121 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,210 to #13,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Lebo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lebo, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lebo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (2,049 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lebo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (1.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lebo (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lebo mean?
A surname of French origin, derived from the Old French word "le beau," meaning "the handsome one." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lebo (0.73 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Lebo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.