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

Ledesma, 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 Ledesma surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ledesma in America

Ledesma is the 1768th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ledesma surname appeared 20,311 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 Ledesma.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ledesma 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 Ledesma

The surname Ledesma has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to derive from the Spanish word "leda," meaning a type of reed or watergrass, and the suffix "-esma," which indicates a place or location. Thus, the name likely referred to a place where reeds or watergrasses were abundant.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ledesma can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a manuscript from the 14th century that documented the holdings and properties of the Spanish nobility. This suggests that the name was already established among the Spanish aristocracy during that time.

The name Ledesma is also associated with the town of Ledesma in the province of Salamanca, Spain. This town dates back to the Roman era and was an important settlement during the Middle Ages. It is possible that some individuals bearing the surname Ledesma originated from this town or its surrounding areas.

In the 16th century, a notable individual with the surname Ledesma was Pedro de Ledesma (1544-1616), a Spanish Jesuit priest and theologian who taught at the University of Salamanca and authored several works on moral theology.

Another historical figure was Juan de Ledesma (c. 1520-1604), a Spanish painter and sculptor who worked during the Renaissance period. His most famous work is the altarpiece in the Church of San Martín in Valladolid, Spain.

In the 17th century, Bartolomé de Ledesma (1585-1647) was a Spanish dramatist and poet from Madrid. He wrote numerous plays and poems, contributing to the Golden Age of Spanish literature.

In the 18th century, Antonio de Ledesma y Robles (1725-1796) was a Spanish military engineer and architect who designed several fortifications and public buildings in Spain and its colonies.

Jumping to the 19th century, Mariano Ledesma Balbín (1811-1887) was a Peruvian politician and writer who served as the President of Peru from 1868 to 1872.

These examples illustrate the long history and diverse backgrounds of individuals bearing the surname Ledesma, which has its roots firmly planted in the cultural and historical landscape of Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ledesma

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

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

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

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