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

Leggs, 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 Leggs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leggs in America

Leggs is the 49087th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leggs surname appeared 429 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 Leggs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leggs 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 Leggs

The surname "LEGGS" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "legg," which referred to a leg or a stem of a plant. This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a descriptive nickname to someone with particularly sturdy or strong legs.

The earliest known record of the surname "LEGGS" appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a man named John Leggs is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already become established as a hereditary surname by the 13th century.

Another early reference to the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a William Leggs is recorded. This indicates that the surname had spread to different parts of England by the 14th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname "LEGGS" was John Leggs, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Hathern, Leicestershire, in the late 14th century. Records show that he owned substantial tracts of land in the area.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various legal documents and records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a Richard Leggs is mentioned in 1442.

During the Tudor period, a notable bearer of the surname "LEGGS" was Sir Thomas Leggs (c. 1490-1545), a prominent courtier and diplomat who served under King Henry VIII. He was appointed as the English ambassador to the Holy Roman Empire and played a significant role in negotiating treaties and alliances.

In the 17th century, the name "LEGGS" appears in various parish records and local histories. One notable figure was Robert Leggs (1615-1689), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, who served as the High Sheriff of the county in 1668.

Another significant bearer of the surname "LEGGS" was William Leggs (1725-1801), a renowned architect and surveyor from Warwickshire. He was responsible for designing and constructing several notable buildings, including churches and country houses, in the region during the 18th century.

As for place names associated with the surname "LEGGS," there are several villages and hamlets in various parts of England that share a similar name, such as Legsby in Lincolnshire and Leggox in Oxfordshire. These place names may have influenced the development and spelling variations of the surname over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leggs

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

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

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

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