2000
#14,370
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,910
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Leet
A surname derived from the Old English word "laet" meaning "courteous" or "humble".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,062 Americans carry the last name Leet. That puts it at #15,640 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 166,224 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leet 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 Leet with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 166,224
Census rank
#15,640
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,798 bearers of the surname Leet in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15640th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leet, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leet
The surname LEET has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "hlyt," which means "lot" or "portion," suggesting that the name may have been initially associated with someone who held a particular allotment of land or property.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Lyte" and "Lite." This historical record, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of surnames across various regions of England during that era.
Throughout the centuries, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Leet, Leete, Lyte, and Lite. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects, scribal errors, or personal preferences of the individuals bearing the name.
The village of Leet, located in the county of Yorkshire, is believed to have played a significant role in the establishment of the surname. Records from the 13th century mention individuals identified as "de Leet," indicating their association with this geographic location.
One notable figure bearing the LEET surname was Sir John Leet (1564-1637), an English merchant and Member of Parliament who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1615. His contributions to the city's governance and trade during the early 17th century solidified the LEET name in historical records.
Another prominent individual was William Leet (1688-1748), an American colonial leader and one of the founders of the city of Norwalk, Connecticut. He served as a lieutenant governor of the Connecticut Colony and played a crucial role in shaping the early development of the region.
In the literary realm, Harriet Underwood Leet (1857-1934), an American poet and writer, gained recognition for her works, including the collection "The Gift and Other Poems" published in 1899.
The LEET surname also found its way into the military ranks, with General James Leet (1842-1925), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War, earning distinction for his service and leadership on the battlefield.
Lastly, Gunther Leet (1885-1969), a German architect and urban planner, left a lasting impact on the built environment through his innovative designs and contributions to city planning in the early 20th century.
These examples highlight the widespread presence of the LEET surname throughout history, reflecting its enduring legacy across various fields and geographical regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leet
Among Census respondents with the surname Leet, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Leet 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 Leet surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 1,660
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 63
- Two or more races2.3% · 42
- Black or African American0.8% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leet
Leet 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
#15,386
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,906
-4 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 1,016 places
2020
#15,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,798
-108 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 254 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,370 | 1,910 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,386 | 1,906 | 0.65 | -4 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 1,016 places |
| 2020 | #15,640 | 1,798 | 0.60 | -108 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 254 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 Leet 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 | #15,386 | #15,640 | -1.7% |
| Count | 1,906 | 1,798 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.60 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leet bearers went from 1,906 to 1,798 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 254 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,386 to #15,640.
FAQ
Leet surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leet?
Name Census estimates that about 2,062 living Americans carry the surname Leet. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 166,224 residents.
How common is Leet?
Leet ranks #15,640 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,798 people with the surname Leet. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,062), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Leet.
Has Leet become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leet went from 1,906 recorded bearers to 1,798. That is a decrease of 108 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,386 to #15,640.
What does the Census say about the background of Leet?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leet, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Leet in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (1,660 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leet appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Leet (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 Leet mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word "laet" meaning "courteous" or "humble". 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 Leet (0.60 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 Americans have the surname Leet?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.