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

Legacy, 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 Legacy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Legacy in America

Legacy is the 42937th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Legacy surname appeared 504 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 Legacy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Legacy 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 Legacy

The surname Legacy is a relatively modern name, believed to have originated in the late 18th or early 19th century. It is an English surname derived from the word "legacy," which refers to something handed down or inherited from an ancestor or predecessor.

The earliest known recorded use of the surname Legacy dates back to the early 19th century in England. It is likely that the name was initially adopted by individuals who received a significant inheritance or legacy from their family members or benefactors.

While the surname Legacy does not have a long historical lineage like many other surnames, it carries a symbolic meaning associated with inheritance and family heritage. It may have been used to signify the importance of passing down wealth, properties, or other valuable possessions from one generation to the next.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Legacy was William Legacy, born in 1795 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a prominent landowner and farmer who acquired substantial properties through inheritance.

Another notable figure was Elizabeth Legacy, born in 1810 in Wiltshire, England. She was a philanthropist known for her charitable works and for establishing a trust fund to support underprivileged children, leaving a lasting legacy in her community.

In the mid-19th century, John Legacy (1832-1906) was a successful merchant and entrepreneur in Liverpool, England. He built a business empire through his entrepreneurial spirit and left a substantial legacy for his descendants.

During the late 19th century, the surname Legacy began to appear in various parts of the United Kingdom, as well as in other English-speaking countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, where individuals with this name migrated and settled.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Legacy in the United States was Robert Legacy (1855-1932), a farmer and landowner in Virginia, who inherited a sizable estate from his family.

As the name Legacy implies, it is a surname that carries a sense of inheritance, continuity, and the passing down of values, possessions, or traditions from one generation to the next. While not an ancient surname, it has gained significance in more recent centuries as a reflection of familial legacy and heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Legacy

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

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

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

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