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

Leigh, 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 Leigh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leigh in America

Leigh is the 3499th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leigh surname appeared 10,213 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Leigh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leigh 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 Leigh

The surname Leigh has its origins in England, with roots dating back to Anglo-Saxon times. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "leah," meaning a meadow or woodland clearing. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a clearing or wooded area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de la Legh" and "de la Leigh." These entries indicate that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066, when many English surnames began to take shape.

Over time, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations such as Legh, Leighe, and Ley appearing in historical records. Some of these variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or scribal errors.

Leigh was also used as a place name, particularly in areas like Cheshire and Lancashire, where several townships and villages bore the name. For example, the town of Leigh in Greater Manchester was recorded as "Legh" in the Domesday Book.

One notable figure associated with the surname Leigh was Sir Peter Legh (c. 1501-1590), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another was Sir Thomas Leigh (1504-1571), a Lord Mayor of London and benefactor of the nearby village of Leigh-on-Sea in Essex.

In the literary world, the surname is carried by Augusta Leigh (1784-1851), the half-sister and rumored lover of Lord Byron. The poet Vivian Leigh (1913-1967), famous for her portrayal of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, also bore this surname, although it was her married name.

Other notable individuals with the Leigh surname include the English philosopher Jasper Leigh (c. 1548-1589), the English Puritan minister William Leigh (1550-1639), and the British actor and director Richard Leigh (1943-2022).

While the surname Leigh may have origins in specific regions of England, it has since spread worldwide, carried by descendants of those who bore the name in its early days.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leigh

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

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

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

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