2000
#4,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,512
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.41
Uncommon Last name
Ledezma
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Ledezma in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,244 Americans carry the last name Ledezma. That puts it at #3,551 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,483 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ledezma 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
11K
1 in 30,483
Census rank
#3,551
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,805 bearers of the surname Ledezma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3551st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ledezma, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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The surname appears in various historical documents, including the Catastro de Ensenada, a census-like record compiled in the 18th century during the reign of King Ferdinand VI of Spain.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ledezma
Among Census respondents with the surname Ledezma, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ledezma 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 Ledezma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.9% · 9,404
- White3.2% · 310
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 23
- Black or African American0.2% · 20
- Two or more races0.2% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ledezma
Ledezma 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
#3,659
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,721
+3,209 bearers (+49.3%)
Per 100,000 3.30
Rank movement Up 1,295 places
2020
#3,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,805
+84 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 3.28
Rank movement Up 108 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,954 | 6,512 | 2.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,659 | 9,721 | 3.30 | +3,209 bearers (+49.3%) | Up 1,295 places |
| 2020 | #3,551 | 9,805 | 3.28 | +84 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 108 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 Ledezma 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 | #3,659 | #3,551 | 3.0% |
| Count | 9,721 | 9,805 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.30 | 3.28 | -0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ledezma bearers went from 9,721 to 9,805 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 108 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,659 to #3,551.
FAQ
Ledezma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ledezma?
Name Census estimates that about 11,244 living Americans carry the surname Ledezma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,483 residents.
How common is Ledezma?
Ledezma ranks #3,551 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,805 people with the surname Ledezma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,244), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Ledezma.
Has Ledezma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ledezma went from 9,721 recorded bearers to 9,805. That is an increase of 84 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,659 to #3,551.
What does the Census say about the background of Ledezma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ledezma, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ledezma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (9,404 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ledezma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.9%), White (3.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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 Ledezma (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 Ledezma mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Ledezma in Spain. 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 Ledezma (3.28 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 Ledezma?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.