2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Leggin
A surname potentially derived from the Old English word "leccan" meaning to moisten, as in a brook or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Leggin. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leggin 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Leggin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leggin, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.8%. The next largest groups are Black (44.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leggin
The surname Leggin is of English origin, rooted in the medieval period. It is believed to have emerged as a locational name, derived from a place called Leggin or Leggon, though the exact location remains unclear. Some historians suggest it may have originated from the Old English words "lecg" meaning "meadow" and "un" meaning "hill" or "down," indicating the name's potential connection to a meadow or hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Leggin can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a certain Robert de Leggin was mentioned. This provides evidence that the name was already in use during the 12th century.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Leggon, Leggen, and Leggin, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. A notable individual bearing this name was John Leggen, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.
The Leggin surname has also been associated with several place names, including Leggintown in Cumbria and Leggin Hill in Northumberland. These locations may have influenced the development and spread of the surname in different regions.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Leggin. One such person was William Leggin (1554-1612), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Trinity College, Oxford. Another notable figure was Thomas Leggin (1612-1677), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Aldborough in the 1640s.
In the 18th century, John Leggin (1725-1798) was a prominent British artist known for his landscapes and portraiture. He was a member of the Royal Academy and exhibited his works regularly.
Moving into the 19th century, Edward Leggin (1832-1901) was a British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Guildhall in Coventry and the Town Hall in Nuneaton.
The surname Leggin has also been carried by individuals in other parts of the world, though its origins can be traced back to England. For example, James Leggin (1867-1935) was a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leggin
Among Census respondents with the surname Leggin, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.8%. The next largest groups are Black (44.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Leggin 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 Leggin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.8% · 59
- Black or African American44.7% · 51
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leggin
Leggin 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+12 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,223 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-10 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,902 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 2,223 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 10,902 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 Leggin 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 | #135,593 | #146,495 | -8.0% |
| Count | 124 | 114 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leggin bearers went from 124 to 114 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 10,902 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #146,495.
FAQ
Leggin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leggin?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Leggin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Leggin?
Leggin ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Leggin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Leggin.
Has Leggin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leggin went from 124 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Leggin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leggin, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.8%. The next largest groups are Black (44.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Leggin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.8% (59 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leggin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (51.8%), Black (44.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Leggin (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 Leggin mean?
A surname potentially derived from the Old English word "leccan" meaning to moisten, as in a brook or stream. 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 Leggin (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 many people share the surname Leggin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.