2000
#52,608
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 370
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Leiba
A surname possibly derived from the Hebrew name Lev, meaning "heart" or "lion".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 595 Americans carry the last name Leiba. That puts it at #44,544 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 576,058 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leiba 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
595
1 in 576,058
Census rank
#44,544
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
519
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 519 bearers of the surname Leiba in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 44544th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leiba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 53.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.4%) and White (13.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leiba
The surname LEIBA has its origins in Germany and Poland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "lieb," meaning "dear" or "beloved." The name was likely a descriptive nickname given to someone who was well-liked or esteemed in their community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LEIBA can be found in the town records of Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland) from the mid-16th century. It appears to have been concentrated in the regions of Silesia and Pomerania, which were historically part of the German territories.
In the late 17th century, a Jewish merchant named Isaac LEIBA was mentioned in the records of the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He was involved in the import and export trade, indicating that the name had already gained some prominence by that time.
During the 18th century, the LEIBA name spread across various parts of Central and Eastern Europe, including areas such as Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) and Galicia (now part of Poland and Ukraine). The name was sometimes spelled as LEYBA or LIBA in these regions.
One notable figure with the surname LEIBA was Heinrich LEIBA (1792-1867), a German philosopher and writer from Silesia. He was known for his works on ethics and metaphysics, and his ideas influenced the development of modern German thought.
Another prominent individual was Salomon LEIBA (1828-1903), a Polish-born industrialist and philanthropist. He founded a successful textile manufacturing company in Łódź, Poland, and was also known for his charitable contributions to educational and cultural institutions.
In the 19th century, the LEIBA name also appeared in Russia, particularly in the region of Bessarabia (now part of Moldova and Ukraine). One notable figure from this area was Mordechai LEIBA (1853-1921), a Hasidic rabbi and author who wrote extensively on Jewish law and mysticism.
As the LEIBA family spread across various regions, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged, such as LEYBA, LIBA, and LIBERMAN. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in the German and Polish traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leiba
Among Census respondents with the surname Leiba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 53.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.4%) and White (13.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Leiba 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 Leiba surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino53.9% · 280
- Black or African American25.4% · 132
- White13.7% · 71
- Two or more races5.4% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leiba
Leiba 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
#44,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 478
+108 bearers (+29.2%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 7,736 places
2020
#44,544
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 519
+41 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 328 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #52,608 | 370 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #44,872 | 478 | 0.16 | +108 bearers (+29.2%) | Up 7,736 places |
| 2020 | #44,544 | 519 | 0.17 | +41 bearers (+8.6%) | Up 328 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 Leiba 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 | #44,872 | #44,544 | 0.7% |
| Count | 478 | 519 | 8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.17 | 8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leiba bearers went from 478 to 519 (+8.6% change). The surname moved up 328 positions in the national ranking, going from #44,872 to #44,544.
FAQ
Leiba surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leiba?
Name Census estimates that about 595 living Americans carry the surname Leiba. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 576,058 residents.
How common is Leiba?
Leiba ranks #44,544 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 519 people with the surname Leiba. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (595), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Leiba.
Has Leiba become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leiba went from 478 recorded bearers to 519. That is an increase of 41 (+8.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #44,872 to #44,544.
What does the Census say about the background of Leiba?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leiba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 53.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.4%) and White (13.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Leiba in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.9% (280 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leiba appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (53.9%), Black (25.4%), White (13.7%). 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 Leiba (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 Leiba mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Hebrew name Lev, meaning "heart" or "lion". 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 Leiba (0.17 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 have the last name Leiba?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Leiba at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.