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

Leff, 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 Leff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leff in America

Leff is the 13959th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leff surname appeared 2,161 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 Leff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leff 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 Leff

The surname LEFF has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "leoh," meaning a grove or small wood. This suggests that the name may have originated as a reference to someone who lived near or worked in a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1195, which mention a Hugo de Leff. This document provides evidence that the name was already established in England by the late 12th century.

During the 13th century, various spellings of the name appeared in historical records, including Lef, Lefe, and Leffe. These variations likely reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation common in that era before standardized spelling conventions were widely adopted.

In the 14th century, the surname LEFF was associated with several notable individuals. One example is John Leff, a merchant who was recorded as living in London in 1345. Another is Robert Leff, a landowner from Oxfordshire whose name appears in the Court Rolls of 1367.

The name LEFF may also have connections to certain place names in England. For instance, there is a village called Liff in Nottinghamshire, which could have influenced the surname's spelling and pronunciation in that region.

Throughout history, several prominent figures have borne the LEFF surname. These include:

1. William Leff (1561-1629), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Awliscombe in Devon.
2. Thomas Leff (1776-1859), a British naval officer who participated in the Napoleonic Wars and rose to the rank of Admiral.
3. Arthur Leff (1854-1923), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Islington East from 1906 to 1918.
4. Nathaniel Leff (1877-1944), an American attorney and philanthropist who established the Leff Foundation to support education and social causes.
5. Gordon Leff (1915-1995), a British historian and academic who specialized in the study of medieval heresy and dissent.

While the surname LEFF is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history dating back several centuries, with notable bearers in various fields throughout the years.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leff

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

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

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

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