Ledezma last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Ledezma

A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Ledezma in Spain.

Ledezma, 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 Ledezma surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ledezma in America

Ledezma is the 3659th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ledezma surname appeared 9,721 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Ledezma.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ledezma 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 3659 4954 -30.07%
Count 9,721 6,512 39.54%
Proportion per 100k 3.30 2.41 31.17%

The history of the last name Ledezma

The surname Ledezma has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the 14th century. It is a locational surname, derived from the Spanish town of Ledezma, situated in the province of Burgos, Castile and León region. The name likely stems from the Latin word "litus," meaning shore or coast, suggesting that the town was located near a body of water.

In the early 15th century, records show a Juan de Ledezma serving as a nobleman and military commander under King John II of Castile. This suggests that the Ledezma family held a prominent position in Spanish society during that era.

The surname appears in various historical documents, including the Catastro de Ensenada, a census-like record compiled in the 18th century during the reign of King Ferdinand VI of Spain. This record provides insights into the distribution of the Ledezma surname across different regions of Spain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname dates back to 1492, when Gonzalo de Ledezma was listed as a merchant and explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to the Americas. This connection to the Age of Exploration highlights the historical significance of the Ledezma name.

In the 16th century, Pedro de Ledezma (1546-1616) was a renowned Spanish clergyman and writer who served as the Bishop of Guadix and later as the Archbishop of Granada. His literary works, including theological treatises and sermons, contributed to the cultural and intellectual landscape of the era.

During the 17th century, Juan de Ledezma y Cuadra (1590-1659) was a Spanish military officer and diplomat who served as the Governor of Havana, Cuba, and later as the Viceroy of New Spain (present-day Mexico). His administrative and diplomatic roles underscored the influence of the Ledezma family in the Spanish colonial empire.

In the 19th century, José María Ledezma (1811-1878) was a prominent Venezuelan politician and military leader who played a significant role in the country's struggle for independence from Spain. He served as the President of Venezuela on two occasions, contributing to the nation's political and social development.

Throughout history, the Ledezma surname has been associated with various notable figures, including writers, artists, politicians, and military leaders, reflecting its enduring legacy across multiple disciplines and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ledezma

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

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 Ledezma was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 2.31% 225
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.14% 14
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.19% 18
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.10% 10
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.14% 14
Hispanic Origin 97.11% 9,440

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 Ledezma has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 2.31% 3.46% -39.86%
Black 0.14% 0.20% -35.29%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.19% 0.17% 11.11%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.10% 0.17% -51.85%
Two or More Races 0.14% 0.09% 43.48%
Hispanic 97.11% 95.92% 1.23%

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

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

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Ledezma last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/ledezma-surname-popularity/.

"Ledezma last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/ledezma-surname-popularity/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Ledezma last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/ledezma-surname-popularity/.

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