2010
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Leekim
A surname possibly from combining "Lee" and the Korean surname "Kim".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Leekim. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leekim 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Leekim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leekim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leekim
The surname LEEKIM is of Korean origin and dates back several centuries. It is believed to have originated from the region around Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, during the Goryeo dynasty which ruled from 918 to 1392 AD.
LEEKIM is a compound surname, formed by combining the two Korean family names Lee and Kim. Lee is derived from the Korean word "ri" meaning "plum tree", while Kim comes from the word "gim" meaning "gold" or "metal". The combination of these two names suggests a connection to nature and valuable materials.
Historical records from the Goryeo period mention individuals with the surname LEEKIM, though it was likely less common than the individual names Lee and Kim at the time. One of the earliest known references is found in a genealogical record from the 13th century, which lists a LEEKIM family living in the Gyeonggi province near Seoul.
During the Joseon dynasty, which succeeded the Goryeo and ruled from 1392 to 1897, the LEEKIM name became more widespread. Notable individuals bearing this surname include LEEKIM Yun-sik (1530-1604), a renowned scholar and calligrapher who served as a royal tutor during the reign of King Seonjo.
In the 18th century, LEEKIM Seok-jeong (1728-1799) was a prominent scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the development of Korean Neo-Confucianism. His writings and teachings had a lasting impact on Korean intellectual thought.
Another notable figure was LEEKIM Yeong-hwan (1856-1935), a diplomat and politician who played a key role in the independence movement against Japanese colonial rule in the early 20th century. He served as the first Prime Minister of the Korean Empire from 1898 to 1899.
In more recent history, LEEKIM Sung-jae (1907-1972) was a renowned novelist and poet whose works explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of the Korean people during the Japanese occupation and the Korean War.
While the surname LEEKIM is not as common as Lee or Kim individually, it has a rich historical legacy and has been borne by many notable figures throughout Korean history, from scholars and philosophers to politicians and artists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leekim
Among Census respondents with the surname Leekim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Leekim 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 Leekim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.7% · 111
- White3.3% · 4
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leekim
Leekim appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-9 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,699 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 10,699 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 Leekim 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 | #130,610 | #141,309 | -8.2% |
| Count | 130 | 121 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leekim bearers went from 130 to 121 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 10,699 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #141,309.
FAQ
Leekim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leekim?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Leekim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Leekim?
Leekim ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Leekim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Leekim.
Has Leekim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leekim went from 130 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 9 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Leekim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leekim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Leekim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leekim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.7%), White (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Leekim (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 Leekim mean?
A surname possibly from combining "Lee" and the Korean surname "Kim". 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 Leekim (0.04 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 Leekim?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Leekim on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.