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

Ledger, 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 Ledger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ledger in America

Ledger is the 14096th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ledger surname appeared 2,132 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ledger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ledger 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 Ledger

The surname Ledger is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word 'lecgere' meaning a dweller at a woodland clearing or ridge. The name first appeared in the regions of Essex and Oxfordshire in England during the 11th century.

The earliest known record of the name Ledger can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as 'Lecgere'. This historical manuscript recorded landholders and their holdings across England and parts of Wales after the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the name was also recorded as 'Legger' and 'Leger', indicating variations in spelling during that time. The surname was often associated with place names such as Ledger Hall in Oxfordshire and Ledger Farm in Essex, further cementing its connection to the Old English word 'lecgere'.

One notable example of the surname Ledger from history is William Ledger (1538-1616), an English merchant and explorer who is credited with introducing spices from the East Indies to Europe. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Ledger (1645-1720), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire.

In the 18th century, John Ledger (1737-1803) was a renowned English clockmaker and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of precision timekeeping instruments. The 19th century saw the rise of Henry Ledger (1812-1888), a British naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions.

More recently, the late Heath Ledger (1979-2008) was an acclaimed Australian actor who won numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film "The Dark Knight".

Throughout history, the surname Ledger has maintained its connection to its Anglo-Saxon roots, reflecting the dwellers of woodland clearings and ridges in England's early history. The variations in spelling and the association with place names further illustrate the rich heritage of this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ledger

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

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

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

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