2000
#5,031
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,400
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.37
Rare Last name
Leeper
An occupational surname for a basket maker or a person who sells baskets.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,058 Americans carry the last name Leeper. That puts it at #5,464 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,563 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leeper 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 Leeper with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.1K
1 in 48,563
Census rank
#5,464
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,155 bearers of the surname Leeper in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5464th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leeper, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leeper
The surname Leeper is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "leper," which originally referred to a person suffering from leprosy. In medieval times, lepers were often segregated and lived in leper colonies or hospitals specifically established for their care.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Leeper dates back to 1273 in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where it appears as "le Lepere." This spelling variation highlights the name's connection to the disease, as those afflicted were often referred to as "lepers."
During the 14th century, the surname Leeper appeared in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1379, where a John le Lepere is mentioned. This document suggests that the name had spread beyond its initial regional boundaries.
In the 15th century, the name continued to evolve, with spellings such as "Leper" and "Lepere" appearing in records like the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1486, where a William Leper is documented. This variation in spelling was common in earlier times due to the lack of standardized orthography.
One notable figure bearing the surname Leeper was Sir Ralph Leeper (1530-1594), a prominent English naval commander and explorer who played a crucial role in the maritime explorations of the late 16th century. He is remembered for his voyages to the West Indies and his service under Sir Francis Drake.
Another significant individual was John Leeper (1645-1723), an English Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Truro in Cornwall. He is best known for his work "A Vindication of the Principles and Practices of the Moderate Divines and Laity of the Church of England."
In the 18th century, the surname Leeper appeared in various parish records across England, including the baptism of Thomas Leeper in 1712 in St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, and the marriage of Robert Leeper and Elizabeth Holt in 1767 in Eccleston, Lancashire.
One noteworthy figure from this period was William Leeper (1767-1843), an Irish-born mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. He served as the Astronomer Royal of Ireland from 1828 until his death.
Jumping forward to the 19th century, we find George Leeper (1830-1904), a British colonial administrator who served as the Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Provinces in British India from 1886 to 1892. He played a crucial role in the administration of the region during a period of significant social and economic transformation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leeper
Among Census respondents with the surname Leeper, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Leeper 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 Leeper surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.4% · 4,889
- Black or African American10.5% · 649
- Two or more races4.6% · 286
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 243
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leeper
Leeper 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
#5,281
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,593
+193 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 2.24
Rank movement Down 250 places
2020
#5,464
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,155
-438 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 2.06
Rank movement Down 183 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,031 | 6,400 | 2.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,281 | 6,593 | 2.24 | +193 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 250 places |
| 2020 | #5,464 | 6,155 | 2.06 | -438 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 183 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 Leeper 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 | #5,281 | #5,464 | -3.5% |
| Count | 6,593 | 6,155 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.24 | 2.06 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leeper bearers went from 6,593 to 6,155 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 183 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,281 to #5,464.
FAQ
Leeper surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leeper?
Name Census estimates that about 7,058 living Americans carry the surname Leeper. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,563 residents.
How common is Leeper?
Leeper ranks #5,464 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.06 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 6,155 people with the surname Leeper. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,058), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.06 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 Leeper.
Has Leeper become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leeper went from 6,593 recorded bearers to 6,155. That is a decrease of 438 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,281 to #5,464.
What does the Census say about the background of Leeper?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leeper, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Leeper in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.4% (4,889 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leeper appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.4%), Black (10.5%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Leeper (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 Leeper mean?
An occupational surname for a basket maker or a person who sells baskets. 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 Leeper (2.06 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 have the last name Leeper?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Leeper, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.