2000
#13,071
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,148
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Legere
Derived from the Old French légier, meaning "light" or "quick," likely referring to an agile or lively person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,225 Americans carry the last name Legere. That puts it at #14,695 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,047 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Legere 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
2.2K
1 in 154,047
Census rank
#14,695
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,940 bearers of the surname Legere in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14695th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Legere, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Black (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Legere
The surname Legere originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "legier," meaning "light" or "nimble." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone of a slight or agile build.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the 13th-century Ecclesiastical Tax Rolls of Yorkshire, England, where it is spelled "Legere." This indicates that the name had spread to England by that time, likely brought by Norman settlers after the conquest of 1066.
In France, the name can be traced back to the 11th century, where it was found in the region of Normandy. A notable early bearer of the name was Robert Legere, a Norman knight who fought in the First Crusade (1096-1099) under Robert Curthose, the Duke of Normandy.
The name Legere is also found in various medieval records and manuscripts, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Leger" in the county of Gloucestershire, England. This suggests that the name had already established itself in England by the time of the Norman Conquest.
During the 12th century, the name spread to other parts of Europe, including Germany, where it was recorded as "Leger" and "Legere." One prominent figure bearing the name was Johannes Legere, a German scholar and theologian who lived from 1495 to 1565.
In the 15th century, the name also appeared in Italy, where it was spelled "Legeri" or "Leggeri." One notable Italian with this surname was Giacomo Legeri, a renowned painter and architect who lived from 1520 to 1598.
Other historical figures bearing the Legere surname include:
1. Pierre Legere (1630-1701), a French explorer and fur trader in North America.
2. Jean-Baptiste Legere (1765-1834), a French military officer who served under Napoleon.
3. Marie-Louise Legere (1755-1823), a French nun and educator who founded several schools in Paris.
4. Émile Legere (1892-1976), a Belgian painter and sculptor known for his Impressionist works.
5. Jacques Legere (1920-2003), a French author and poet who wrote extensively about the rural life in Normandy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Legere
Among Census respondents with the surname Legere, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Black (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Legere 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 Legere surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 1,734
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 69
- Black or African American3.2% · 62
- Two or more races2.9% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Legere
Legere 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
#13,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,270
+122 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 356 places
2020
#14,695
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,940
-330 bearers (-14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 1,268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,071 | 2,148 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,427 | 2,270 | 0.77 | +122 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 356 places |
| 2020 | #14,695 | 1,940 | 0.65 | -330 bearers (-14.5%) | Down 1,268 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 Legere 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 | #13,427 | #14,695 | -9.4% |
| Count | 2,270 | 1,940 | -14.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.65 | -15.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Legere bearers went from 2,270 to 1,940 (-14.5% change). The surname moved down 1,268 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,427 to #14,695.
FAQ
Legere surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Legere?
Name Census estimates that about 2,225 living Americans carry the surname Legere. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,047 residents.
How common is Legere?
Legere ranks #14,695 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,940 people with the surname Legere. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,225), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Legere.
Has Legere become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Legere went from 2,270 recorded bearers to 1,940. That is a decrease of 330 (-14.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,427 to #14,695.
What does the Census say about the background of Legere?
Among Census respondents with the surname Legere, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Black (3.2%). 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 Legere in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (1,734 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Legere appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Hispanic (3.6%), Black (3.2%). 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 Legere (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 Legere mean?
Derived from the Old French légier, meaning "light" or "quick," likely referring to an agile or lively person. 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 Legere (0.65 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 share the surname Legere?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.