2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Leicester
A surname originating from the city of Leicester in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Leicester. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leicester 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 Leicester with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Leicester in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leicester, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leicester
The surname LEICESTER originated in England, deriving from the county and city of Leicester. It likely emerged as a locational surname during the medieval period, indicating that the original bearer hailed from or resided in the area known as Leicester.
The name Leicester itself has Anglo-Saxon roots, stemming from the combination of the Old English words "Legor" (meaning "dwellers on the") and "ceaster" (a Roman fortified town or camp). Thus, the name signifies "the dwellers at the Roman town."
Leicester is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This early record suggests that the surname LEICESTER was already in use by the late 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this surname was Robert de Leicester, a 12th-century English nobleman who held the title of Earl of Leicester. He lived from around 1104 to 1168 and was a prominent figure during the reign of King Stephen.
Another notable bearer of the LEICESTER surname was Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, who lived from 1208 to 1265. He played a significant role in the baronial revolt against King Henry III and is remembered for his contributions to the development of parliamentary democracy in England.
In the 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, the renowned English poet and author of "The Canterbury Tales," included a character named Sir Ralph Leicester in his work "The Squire's Tale."
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (1532-1588), was a prominent courtier and favorite of the Queen. He was a skilled military commander and played a crucial role in suppressing the Northern Rebellion in 1569.
John Leicester, a 17th-century English merchant and traveler, is known for his accounts of his journeys to countries like Syria and Turkey. His detailed writings provided valuable insights into the cultures and societies of the regions he visited.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leicester
Among Census respondents with the surname Leicester, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Leicester 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 Leicester surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leicester
Leicester 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+7 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,351 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 2,351 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,113 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 Leicester 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 | #142,108 | #147,221 | -3.6% |
| Count | 117 | 113 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leicester bearers went from 117 to 113 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,113 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #147,221.
FAQ
Leicester surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leicester?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Leicester. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Leicester?
Leicester ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Leicester. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Leicester.
Has Leicester become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leicester went from 117 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Leicester?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leicester, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Leicester in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leicester appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (2.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Leicester (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 Leicester mean?
A surname originating from the city of Leicester in England. 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 Leicester (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 Leicester?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.