2000
#6,957
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,445
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.65
Rare Last name
Ledet
A French occupational surname derived from the Old French "l'edet," meaning "the maker of tinder or kindling wood."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,385 Americans carry the last name Ledet. That puts it at #6,894 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,650 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ledet 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
5.4K
1 in 63,650
Census rank
#6,894
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,696 bearers of the surname Ledet in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6894th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ledet, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.7%. The next largest groups are Black (27.9%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ledet
The surname LEDET is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the northern region of Normandy, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "ledit," which means "the said" or "the aforesaid." This word was commonly used in legal and official documents to refer back to something previously mentioned.
One of the earliest known references to the LEDET surname is found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Ledett," which is likely a variation of the modern spelling.
In the 13th century, records show that a family bearing the LEDET surname held lands in the village of Lèdes, near Toulouse, in southern France. This suggests that the name may have also been associated with a place name during that time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the LEDET surname was Jean LEDET, a merchant from Rouen, France, who lived in the late 14th century. Another notable figure was Pierre LEDET, a French theologian and scholar who taught at the University of Paris in the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the LEDET surname can be found in various records from the region of Normandy, including parish registers and tax rolls. One individual of note was Jean LEDET, a lawyer and magistrate from Caen, who lived from 1520 to 1587.
During the 17th century, the LEDET surname spread across France and beyond, as some members of the family migrated to other parts of Europe and the New World. One such individual was Jacques LEDET, a French soldier and explorer who was among the first European settlers in what is now Louisiana, United States, around 1680.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the LEDET surname was François LEDET, a French architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings and public spaces in Paris, including the Place Vendôme. He lived from 1710 to 1788.
The LEDET surname continues to be found in various countries around the world, particularly in France, the United States, and other regions with historical French influence. While its origins can be traced back to medieval France, the name has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ledet
Among Census respondents with the surname Ledet, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.7%. The next largest groups are Black (27.9%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ledet 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 Ledet surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.7% · 2,993
- Black or African American27.9% · 1,311
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 173
- Two or more races3.3% · 156
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 49
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ledet
Ledet 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
#7,086
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,725
+280 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 129 places
2020
#6,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,696
-29 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Up 192 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,957 | 4,445 | 1.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,086 | 4,725 | 1.60 | +280 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 129 places |
| 2020 | #6,894 | 4,696 | 1.57 | -29 bearers (-0.6%) | Up 192 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 Ledet 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 | #7,086 | #6,894 | 2.7% |
| Count | 4,725 | 4,696 | -0.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.60 | 1.57 | -1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ledet bearers went from 4,725 to 4,696 (-0.6% change). The surname moved up 192 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,086 to #6,894.
FAQ
Ledet surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ledet?
Name Census estimates that about 5,385 living Americans carry the surname Ledet. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,650 residents.
How common is Ledet?
Ledet ranks #6,894 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,696 people with the surname Ledet. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,385), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Ledet.
Has Ledet become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ledet went from 4,725 recorded bearers to 4,696. That is a decrease of 29 (-0.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,086 to #6,894.
What does the Census say about the background of Ledet?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ledet, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.7%. The next largest groups are Black (27.9%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Ledet in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.7% (2,993 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ledet appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.7%), Black (27.9%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Ledet (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 Ledet mean?
A French occupational surname derived from the Old French "l'edet," meaning "the maker of tinder or kindling wood." 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 Ledet (1.57 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 have the surname Ledet?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.