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

Lees, 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 Lees surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lees in America

Lees is the 6214th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lees surname appeared 5,502 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Lees.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lees 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 Lees

The surname Lees originated in England, with its roots dating back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is derived from the Old English word "leah," which means a meadow, clearing, or woodland glade. This term was commonly used as a place name, indicating a settlement situated in such an area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Lees can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. Several individuals with variations of the name, such as Leia and Lege, were listed as landowners or tenants in various counties.

During the medieval period, the name Lees was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire. It is believed that many individuals with this surname were descendants of families who lived in or near the numerous places with names derived from "leah," such as Leeswood, Leighton, and Lees.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Lees, a distinguished knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the mid-14th century. Another prominent figure was Richard Lees, a merchant and alderman in the city of London, who served as Lord Mayor in 1460.

In the 16th century, the name Lees appeared in various historical records, including the parish registers of Lancashire and Yorkshire. One example is Thomas Lees, a wealthy landowner from Oldham, Lancashire, who was born in 1545 and played a significant role in the local community.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Lees family established themselves as influential figures in the textile industry, particularly in the area of wool and cotton manufacturing. Notable individuals from this period include James Lees (1663-1733), a successful woolens merchant from Yorkshire, and Samuel Lees (1742-1824), a pioneering cotton manufacturer from Lancashire.

In the 19th century, the Lees surname was associated with several prominent figures in various fields. These include Edward Lees (1808-1888), a renowned botanist and naturalist from Worcestershire, and Frederic Richard Lees (1815-1897), a prolific writer and composer of hymns from Staffordshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lees

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

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

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

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