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

Legree, 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 Legree surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Legree in America

Legree is the 30665th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Legree surname appeared 760 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 Legree.

We can also compare 2010 data for Legree 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 Legree

The surname LEGREE has its origins in France, tracing back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "gré," meaning "will" or "pleasure." The prefix "le" was added to the word, forming "LEGREE," which may have initially referred to a person with a pleasant or agreeable demeanor.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various records and documents across different regions of France. One of the earliest recorded instances was in the Livre des métiers d'Étienne Boileau, a 13th-century document detailing the regulations and customs of Parisian trades and guilds, where a Jacques LEGREE was listed as a member of the weavers' guild.

In the 15th century, the LEGREE surname was found in the Armorial général, a collection of heraldic arms compiled under the orders of King Louis XIV. This suggests that some families bearing the name were of noble or distinguished lineage during that time.

Notable individuals with the LEGREE surname include Jean-Baptiste LEGREE (1670-1736), a French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin. Another prominent figure was Antoine LEGREE (1735-1801), a French revolutionary and political activist who played a role in the events of the French Revolution.

The name also appeared in various literary works, such as the 1852 novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe, where the character Simon LEGREE, a cruel plantation owner, was introduced. While this character was fictional, it highlighted the potential association of the name with the historical context of slavery in the United States.

Other individuals bearing the LEGREE surname include François LEGREE (1820-1892), a French painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes, and Pierre LEGREE (1865-1924), a French sculptor and medallist who created numerous public monuments and works of art.

Throughout its history, the LEGREE surname has maintained its French roots and has been associated with various professions and social standings, from artisans and revolutionaries to artists and nobility.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Legree

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

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

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

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