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

Leeks, 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 Leeks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leeks in America

Leeks is the 30043rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leeks surname appeared 781 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Leeks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leeks 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 Leeks

The surname LEEKS has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "leac," which means "leek" or "herb." This suggests that the name may have been initially adopted as a nickname for someone who grew or sold leeks, or perhaps lived near a place where leeks were cultivated.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LEEKS can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Lecche," which is likely an early spelling variation.

During the 13th century, the surname LEEKS appeared in various records and documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it was spelled as "Leke." This spelling variation is thought to be derived from the Old French word "lesque," which also means "leek."

In the 14th century, the name LEEKS was associated with several notable individuals. One of them was John Leeke, a member of the English Parliament who represented Cambridgeshire in 1341. Another was William Leeke, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in Nottinghamshire during the late 14th century.

The 16th century saw the rise of a distinguished family by the name of LEEKS in Derbyshire. Sir Francis Leeke (1513-1584) was a prominent figure during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies, including Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name LEEKS was Sir John Leke (1602-1670), a Royalist soldier and politician who fought for King Charles I during the English Civil War. He was knighted for his loyalty to the Crown and later served as a Member of Parliament after the Restoration.

Another prominent figure with the surname LEEKS was Samuel Leeke (1652-1701), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Norfolk and wrote several religious works, including "A Defence of the Reasonableness of Christian Religion."

Throughout the centuries, the surname LEEKS has been associated with various place names and locations in England, such as Leek in Staffordshire, Leek Wootton in Warwickshire, and Leeke's Park in Nottinghamshire. These places may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leeks

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

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

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

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