2000
#13,415
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,082
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Leighty
Derived from the German surname Leichty, referring to a person from the village of Leuchte or having a bright personality.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,219 Americans carry the last name Leighty. That puts it at #14,732 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,463 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leighty 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
2.2K
1 in 154,463
Census rank
#14,732
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,935 bearers of the surname Leighty in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14732nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leighty, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leighty
The surname LEIGHTY is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire in England during the 8th or 9th century.
The name was initially used as a locational surname, referring to individuals who resided near or owned a meadow or clearing. Over time, it evolved into a hereditary surname passed down through generations.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name LEIGHTY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared in various spellings, such as "Leghte" and "Leighte."
In the 13th century, records show a John de Leighte who was a landowner in Derbyshire. Another notable figure was Robert Leighty, born in 1542 in Nottinghamshire, who was a prominent merchant and trader during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
During the late 16th and early 17th centuries, many individuals with the surname LEIGHTY migrated to the American colonies, seeking new opportunities and religious freedom. One such individual was William Leighty, born in 1628 in Derbyshire, who settled in Virginia and became a successful farmer.
Throughout history, the LEIGHTY surname has been associated with various notable figures. For instance, Samuel Leighty (1765-1842) was a renowned Methodist minister and pioneer in the American frontier, known for his extensive missionary work and establishment of churches.
Another individual of note was Mary Ann Leighty (1834-1912), a teacher and women's rights activist from Ohio. She advocated for equal educational opportunities for women and played a significant role in the suffrage movement.
In the late 19th century, John Leighty (1856-1932) gained recognition as a prominent architect based in Chicago, responsible for designing several iconic buildings and contributing to the city's architectural landscape.
The LEIGHTY surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, England, which is derived from the Old English "Leighton," meaning a settlement or farm near a meadow.
While the surname LEIGHTY has evolved over centuries and spread across different regions, its origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon settlements in England, where it was initially associated with individuals residing near meadows or clearings in forests.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leighty
Among Census respondents with the surname Leighty, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Leighty 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 Leighty surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 1,804
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 58
- Two or more races2.8% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
- Black or African American0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leighty
Leighty 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
#13,903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,172
+90 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 488 places
2020
#14,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,935
-237 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 829 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,415 | 2,082 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,903 | 2,172 | 0.74 | +90 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 488 places |
| 2020 | #14,732 | 1,935 | 0.65 | -237 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 829 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 Leighty 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 | #13,903 | #14,732 | -6.0% |
| Count | 2,172 | 1,935 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.65 | -12.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leighty bearers went from 2,172 to 1,935 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 829 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,903 to #14,732.
FAQ
Leighty surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leighty?
Name Census estimates that about 2,219 living Americans carry the surname Leighty. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,463 residents.
How common is Leighty?
Leighty ranks #14,732 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,935 people with the surname Leighty. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,219), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Leighty.
Has Leighty become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leighty went from 2,172 recorded bearers to 1,935. That is a decrease of 237 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,903 to #14,732.
What does the Census say about the background of Leighty?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leighty, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Leighty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (1,804 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leighty appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Leighty (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 Leighty mean?
Derived from the German surname Leichty, referring to a person from the village of Leuchte or having a bright personality. 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 Leighty (0.65 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 surname Leighty?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.