2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Legerton
A locational surname originating from a place named Leatherton in Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Legerton. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Legerton 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Legerton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Legerton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Legerton, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.7%. The next largest groups are Black (25.5%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Legerton
The surname Legerton has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "leag" and "tun," which together translate to "a farm or estate in a meadow or clearing." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have lived on or owned land located in a meadow or clearing.
One of the earliest known references to the name Legerton can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1188, where a William de Legerton is mentioned as a landowner. The "de" prefix indicates that the name was originally a territorial surname, referring to the place where the family resided or held lands.
In the 13th century, a variant spelling of the name, "Legherton," appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Worcestershire, indicating the presence of the family in that region as well. The Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1274 also contain references to individuals with the surname Legerton.
During the medieval period, the Legerton family held lands and properties in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Oxfordshire. One notable example is Sir John Legerton, who lived in the 14th century and served as a knight under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Legerton. However, it is possible that the name's origins can be traced back to landholdings or settlements mentioned in the Domesday records.
Other notable individuals with the surname Legerton include:
1. Robert Legerton (c. 1520 - 1585), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire.
2. Anne Legerton (1578 - 1640), a philanthropist and benefactor of several charitable institutions in Oxfordshire.
3. William Legerton (1650 - 1718), a scholar and translator of ancient Greek texts at the University of Cambridge.
4. Elizabeth Legerton (1710 - 1782), a prominent figure in the early stages of the industrial revolution in England, known for her innovative textile manufacturing techniques.
5. Thomas Legerton (1820 - 1892), a renowned architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Legerton
Among Census respondents with the surname Legerton, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.7%. The next largest groups are Black (25.5%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Legerton 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 Legerton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.7% · 65
- Black or African American25.5% · 26
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- Two or more races4.9% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Legerton
Legerton 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
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-12 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,535 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 9,535 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 Legerton 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 | #145,220 | #154,755 | -6.6% |
| Count | 114 | 102 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Legerton bearers went from 114 to 102 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 9,535 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #154,755.
FAQ
Legerton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Legerton?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Legerton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Legerton?
Legerton ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Legerton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Legerton.
Has Legerton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Legerton went from 114 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Legerton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Legerton, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.7%. The next largest groups are Black (25.5%) and Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Legerton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.7% (65 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Legerton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.7%), Black (25.5%), Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Legerton (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 Legerton mean?
A locational surname originating from a place named Leatherton in Scotland. 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 Legerton (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 Americans have the surname Legerton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.