2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lefante
A rare surname possibly derived from an old French word meaning "elephant".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Lefante. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lefante 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.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Lefante in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lefante, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lefante
The surname LEFANTE has its origins in France, tracing back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the French word "élephant" or "elephant," which in turn comes from the Latin word "elephantus." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with someone who had a connection to elephants, perhaps a trader or someone involved with exotic animals.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LEFANTE can be found in a French census record from the city of Lyon in 1592, where a certain Jean LEFANTE is listed as a resident. Another early mention is in a parish register from the village of Montpellier in 1608, where the name is spelled "Lefanté."
In the 17th century, the LEFANTE name appears to have spread to other parts of France, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in cities such as Paris and Marseille. During this period, some variations in spelling emerged, including "Lefanteau" and "Lefantier."
One notable individual with the LEFANTE surname was Pierre LEFANTE (1624-1697), a merchant from Bordeaux who was involved in the wine trade with England and the Netherlands. Another figure was Marie LEFANTE (1658-1734), a renowned seamstress from Paris who is credited with introducing several innovative embroidery techniques.
As the LEFANTE name continued to spread throughout France in the 18th and 19th centuries, it also found its way into other parts of Europe and even overseas. For example, there are records of a Jacques LEFANTE (1782-1856) who settled in Louisiana in the early 19th century and became a successful plantation owner.
Other notable individuals with the LEFANTE surname include Émile LEFANTE (1836-1917), a French philosopher and author who wrote extensively on ethics and morality, and Juliette LEFANTE (1892-1976), a celebrated French actress who appeared in numerous stage productions and films during the early 20th century.
Throughout its history, the LEFANTE surname has maintained a strong presence in France, while also spreading to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. Despite its potential connection to elephants, the name has taken on a broader significance, representing a rich cultural heritage and a lineage that spans several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lefante
Among Census respondents with the surname Lefante, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lefante 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 Lefante surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lefante
Lefante 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,324 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-8 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,337 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 12,324 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 6,337 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 Lefante 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 | #147,253 | #153,590 | -4.3% |
| Count | 112 | 104 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lefante bearers went from 112 to 104 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 6,337 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #153,590.
FAQ
Lefante surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lefante?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Lefante. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Lefante?
Lefante ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Lefante. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lefante.
Has Lefante become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lefante went from 112 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Lefante?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lefante, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Lefante in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lefante appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Lefante (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 Lefante mean?
A rare surname possibly derived from an old French word meaning "elephant". 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 Lefante (0.03 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 Lefante?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Lefante at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.