2000
#6,340
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,945
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.83
Rare Last name
Leech
An English occupational surname referring to a physician or healer in medieval times.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,509 Americans carry the last name Leech. That puts it at #6,747 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,217 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leech 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Leech with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,217
Census rank
#6,747
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,804 bearers of the surname Leech in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6747th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leech, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leech
The surname Leech is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "læce", meaning a physician or a healer. It was initially an occupational name given to those who practiced the art of healing, often through the use of leeches for bloodletting.
The name is believed to have originated in England, possibly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk, where the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Ailric Leche, who was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Le Leche, Leche, and Leach, reflecting the evolution of the English language and spelling variations. One notable example is John le Leche, a prominent merchant from Lincolnshire, who was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like survey of landowners in England.
During the Middle Ages, the Leech family held lands and estates in various parts of England, including Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Staffordshire. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name associated with a place name is William de Lech, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Leech. One of the earliest was Sir John Leche, a prominent lawyer and judge who served as Chief Baron of the Exchequer in the 15th century. Another was Humphrey Leech, a renowned English composer who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
In the 19th century, John Leech (1817-1864) was a renowned English caricaturist and illustrator, best known for his work in the satirical magazine Punch. Another notable bearer of the name was William Elford Leach (1790-1836), a British zoologist and marine biologist who made significant contributions to the study of crustaceans and mollusks.
Mary Leech (1857-1923) was an American educator and suffragist who played a crucial role in the women's suffrage movement in Washington state. She was also a prominent advocate for the establishment of kindergartens in the state.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Leech throughout history, reflecting its long-standing presence in various parts of England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leech
Among Census respondents with the surname Leech, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Leech 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 Leech surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 4,220
- Black or African American4.6% · 221
- Two or more races4.1% · 196
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 113
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leech
Leech 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
#6,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,099
+154 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.73
Rank movement Down 300 places
2020
#6,747
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,804
-295 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.61
Rank movement Down 107 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,340 | 4,945 | 1.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,640 | 5,099 | 1.73 | +154 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 300 places |
| 2020 | #6,747 | 4,804 | 1.61 | -295 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 107 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 Leech 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 | #6,640 | #6,747 | -1.6% |
| Count | 5,099 | 4,804 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.73 | 1.61 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leech bearers went from 5,099 to 4,804 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 107 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,640 to #6,747.
FAQ
Leech surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leech?
Name Census estimates that about 5,509 living Americans carry the surname Leech. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,217 residents.
How common is Leech?
Leech ranks #6,747 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.61 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 4,804 people with the surname Leech. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,509), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.61 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 Leech.
Has Leech become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leech went from 5,099 recorded bearers to 4,804. That is a decrease of 295 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,640 to #6,747.
What does the Census say about the background of Leech?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leech, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Leech in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (4,220 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leech appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Black (4.6%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Leech (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 Leech mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a physician or healer in medieval times. 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 Leech (1.61 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 common is the surname Leech?
You can see how many people are called Leech on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.