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

Ledbetter, 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 Ledbetter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ledbetter in America

Ledbetter is the 1847th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ledbetter surname appeared 19,417 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Ledbetter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ledbetter 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 Ledbetter

The surname Ledbetter has its origins in England and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "lead" and "better," referring to someone who worked with lead or was a skilled lead worker. Some early spellings of the name included Leadbetter, Ledbitter, and Ledbytur.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Ledbetter can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a William Leadbetere is listed. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297 mention a John de Ledebeter.

The name Ledbetter has been associated with various place names in England, such as Ledbetter Hill in Warwickshire and Ledbetter Bridge in Lancashire. These place names likely originated from people with the surname Ledbetter who resided in or were associated with those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Ledbetter throughout history include:

1. Thomas Ledbetter (c. 1615-1677), an English Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Compton Bassett in Wiltshire.
2. Josiah Ledbetter (1761-1837), an American planter and soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
3. William Ledbetter (1792-1873), an American politician who served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate in the mid-19th century.
4. Mary Ledbetter (1834-1910), an American educator and civil rights activist who founded the Ledbetter Normal and Industrial Institute in Arkansas, one of the earliest schools for African Americans in the state.
5. Huddie Ledbetter (1888-1949), better known as Lead Belly, an influential American folk and blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose musicality and storytelling had a significant impact on the development of popular music.

While the surname Ledbetter originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and immigration patterns. The name has been associated with various professions and backgrounds, reflecting the diverse histories and experiences of those who have carried it through the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ledbetter

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

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

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

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