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

Leeth, 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 Leeth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leeth in America

Leeth is the 21660th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leeth surname appeared 1,203 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Leeth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leeth 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 Leeth

The surname LEETH is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "lith," meaning a slope, hillside, or gentle incline. As such, it may have been a topographic name initially given to someone who lived on or near a hillside or sloping area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to 1273 in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, where a Robert de Lethe is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have initially been spelled as "Lethe" before evolving into its current form.

In the 14th century, the surname LEETH appeared in various historical records across different counties in England. For instance, in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, a John de Leeth is mentioned in 1317. Additionally, in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, a William Lethe is listed.

The name LEETH is also found in connection with several place names in England. For example, there is a village called Leath in Derbyshire, which may have influenced the name's spelling and pronunciation in certain regions.

One notable individual with the surname LEETH was Sir John Leeth (c. 1550-1629), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Midhurst in Sussex during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another person of historical significance was Richard Leeth (1629-1686), an English clergyman and controversial author who wrote a treatise on witchcraft titled "A Discourse Concerning the Wonders of the Invisible World."

In the 18th century, William Leeth (1742-1818) was a prominent English artist and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings of rural scenes.

Across the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was John Leeth, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and is listed among the early settlers of the colony.

Lastly, in the 19th century, James Leeth (1808-1892) was a Scottish-born engineer and architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow, including the Glasgow City Chambers.

While the surname LEETH may have evolved from different spelling variations and origins, its roots can be traced back to medieval England, where it likely originated as a descriptive name for someone residing near a hillside or sloping terrain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leeth

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

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

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

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