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

Leeson, 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 Leeson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leeson in America

Leeson is the 15857th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leeson surname appeared 1,835 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Leeson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leeson 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 Leeson

The surname Leeson is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "lees", which means a meadow or pasture land. This surname is believed to have originated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it was common for people to be known by their place of residence or work.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Leeson can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it is listed as "William de Lees". This suggests that the name was initially used as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near or worked on a meadow or pasture land.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms such as "de Lees", "atte Lees", and "del Lees", indicating its evolution over time. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, also mentions several place names that could be related to the Leeson surname, such as "Lees" in Cheshire and "Leys" in Leicestershire.

One notable person with the surname Leeson was Sir John Leeson (1587-1636), an English businessman and member of the East India Company. He played a significant role in establishing trade relations between England and India.

Another prominent figure was Michael Leeson (1629-1679), an English theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious topics. He served as the Rector of Woolwich and was highly respected in his field.

In the 19th century, Richard Leeson (1809-1892) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Natural History Museum in London.

During World War II, John Leeson (1920-1999) was a British Royal Air Force pilot who took part in the Battle of Britain. He later became a successful businessman and author, writing about his wartime experiences.

Additionally, the name Leeson is associated with various place names across England, such as Leeson Park in Dublin, Ireland, and Leeson Street in London, which were likely named after individuals with this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leeson

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

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

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

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