2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Leenstra
A Dutch surname derived from a placename meaning "flax field" or "linseed field".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Leenstra. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leenstra 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Leenstra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leenstra, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leenstra
The surname Leenstra originates from the Netherlands, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch words "leen," meaning "land granted on leasehold or fief," and "stra," a suffix denoting a location or place. This combination suggests that the name may have originally referred to an individual residing on leasehold land or in a specific area associated with such an arrangement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Leenstra surname can be found in the historical records of the province of Friesland, located in the northern Netherlands. In the late 1500s, a farmer named Pieter Leenstra was documented as owning a modest tract of land in the village of Grou, near the city of Leeuwarden. It is speculated that his descendants may have adopted the surname to reflect their connection to this leasehold property.
In the 17th century, the Leenstra name appears to have spread throughout the Netherlands, with families bearing this surname residing in various regions, including Utrecht, Gelderland, and North Holland. This dispersion likely resulted from individuals seeking new economic opportunities or engaging in migration patterns common during that era.
Notable individuals with the Leenstra surname include Sjoerd Leenstra, a Dutch politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1994 to 2006. Another prominent figure was Johannes Leenstra (1819-1891), a Dutch theologian and author who penned several influential works on Christian theology and philosophy.
During the late 18th century, records indicate that a family named Leenstra settled in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), where they established themselves as successful merchants and traders. One member of this family, Willem Leenstra (1773-1843), gained recognition for his contributions to the development of the spice trade in the region.
In the realm of arts and culture, Jacobus Leenstra (1892-1964) was a respected Dutch painter and illustrator, renowned for his landscapes and depictions of rural life in the Netherlands. Additionally, Geertje Leenstra (1916-2001) was a celebrated Dutch poet and author, whose works explored themes of identity, memory, and the human experience.
While the Leenstra surname has its origins in the Netherlands, it has since spread globally due to emigration and diaspora communities. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above provide insight into the early roots and significance of this surname within Dutch society and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leenstra
Among Census respondents with the surname Leenstra, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Leenstra 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 Leenstra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 7
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leenstra
Leenstra 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
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+17 bearers (+16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,185 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+16.5%) | Up 15,185 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 Leenstra 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 | #157,234 | #142,049 | 9.7% |
| Count | 103 | 120 | 16.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 33.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leenstra bearers went from 103 to 120 (+16.5% change). The surname moved up 15,185 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #142,049.
FAQ
Leenstra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leenstra?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Leenstra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Leenstra?
Leenstra ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Leenstra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Leenstra.
Has Leenstra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leenstra went from 103 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 17 (+16.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Leenstra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leenstra, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Leenstra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leenstra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Leenstra (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 Leenstra mean?
A Dutch surname derived from a placename meaning "flax field" or "linseed field". 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 Leenstra (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 many people share the surname Leenstra?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.