2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lefils
A surname referring to a biological son, derived from the French phrase "le fils" meaning "the son."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Lefils. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lefils 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Lefils in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lefils, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lefils
The surname LEFILS is of French origin, emerging in the northern regions of France during the medieval period, around the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French phrase "le fils," which translates to "the son," a designation often used to identify the offspring of a prominent individual or family.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LEFILS can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions a certain "Jehan Lefils," suggesting the surname's use during that era.
In the 14th century, the name LEFILS appeared in the Livre de la Taille de Paris, a tax record from 1313, which listed several individuals bearing this surname, indicating their presence in the capital city.
The LEFILS surname is also associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Pierre LEFILS, a French soldier and explorer who accompanied Jacques Cartier on his voyages to the New World in the 16th century. He played a crucial role in establishing early French settlements in what is now Canada.
Another prominent bearer of the LEFILS name was Jean-Baptiste LEFILS, a French painter and engraver who lived during the 17th century. He is renowned for his exquisite portraits and religious artworks, many of which can be found in museums and galleries across Europe.
In the 18th century, Marie-Anne LEFILS gained recognition as a prominent French author and playwright. Her works, which often explored themes of love and societal norms, were widely acclaimed during her lifetime and continue to be studied by literary scholars today.
During the 19th century, the LEFILS surname was associated with François LEFILS, a renowned French architect who designed numerous notable buildings, including the iconic Palais Garnier in Paris, home of the prestigious Opéra National de Paris.
Lastly, in the 20th century, Jacques LEFILS made his mark as a celebrated French composer and conductor. His compositions, which blended traditional French influences with modern techniques, earned him critical acclaim and numerous awards throughout his career.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have borne the surname LEFILS throughout history, each contributing to the rich tapestry of French culture and leaving an indelible mark on their respective fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lefils
Among Census respondents with the surname Lefils, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lefils 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 Lefils surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 106
- Black or African American3.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lefils
Lefils appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,590 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 2,590 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 Lefils 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 | #148,347 | #145,757 | 1.7% |
| Count | 111 | 115 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lefils bearers went from 111 to 115 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 2,590 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #145,757.
FAQ
Lefils surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lefils?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Lefils. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Lefils?
Lefils ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Lefils. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Lefils.
Has Lefils become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lefils went from 111 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 4 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Lefils?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lefils, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Lefils in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lefils appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Black (3.5%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Lefils (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 Lefils mean?
A surname referring to a biological son, derived from the French phrase "le fils" meaning "the son." 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 Lefils (0.04 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 common is the surname Lefils?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Lefils, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.