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

Leicht, 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 Leicht surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leicht in America

Leicht is the 17775th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leicht surname appeared 1,576 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Leicht.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leicht 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 Leicht

The surname "LEICHT" is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "leicht" which means "light" or "easy". This surname likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who was physically light or had a bright and cheerful demeanor.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "LEICHT" date back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. In these early documents, the name was sometimes spelled as "Leicht", "Lycht", or "Lichte".

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname "LEICHT" was Hans Leicht, a merchant who lived in the city of Nuremberg in the late 15th century. Another notable bearer of this name was Johann Leicht, a German Protestant theologian and writer who lived from 1598 to 1672.

In the 16th century, the surname "LEICHT" also appeared in various place names across Germany, such as Leichtlingen and Lichtenfels, suggesting that some families with this name may have taken on the name of their place of residence or origin.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname "LEICHT" became more widespread throughout Germany and neighboring regions. Notable individuals from this period include Friedrich Leicht (1689-1748), a German composer and organist, and Johann Leicht (1753-1807), a German painter and engraver.

In the 19th century, several individuals with the surname "LEICHT" made significant contributions in various fields. One example is Karl Leicht (1808-1877), a German historian and philologist who specialized in the study of ancient Greek and Roman literature. Another notable figure was Friedrich Leicht (1823-1898), a German architect known for his work on the construction of several churches and public buildings in Berlin.

It is worth noting that the surname "LEICHT" has also been found in other European countries, such as Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, likely due to migration patterns and cultural exchanges between these regions and Germany over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leicht

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

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

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

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