2000
#6,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,879
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.81
Rare Last name
Leija
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Leija, referring to someone from the town of Leija, Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,212 Americans carry the last name Leija. That puts it at #5,352 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,526 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leija 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
7.2K
1 in 47,526
Census rank
#5,352
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,289 bearers of the surname Leija in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5352nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leija, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leija
The surname Leija is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "leja," which means a flat and uncultivated land or plain. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have resided in or near such areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Leija surname can be found in the historic Catalan region of Spain. In the 13th century, a document from the city of Barcelona mentions a certain "Bernat de Leija," indicating the presence of this surname in that area during that time.
As the Spanish language and culture spread across the globe through exploration and colonization, the Leija name traveled far and wide. In the 16th century, during the Spanish conquest of the Americas, records show that several individuals with this surname accompanied the expeditions to the New World.
A notable figure in the annals of Spanish history was Pedro de Leija, a military commander who served under the legendary conquistador Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico in the early 1500s. His bravery and leadership were recognized by Cortés himself, and Pedro de Leija played a pivotal role in several key battles against the Aztec forces.
Another historical figure bearing the Leija surname was Fray Juan de Leija, a Spanish friar who lived in the 17th century. He was a member of the Franciscan order and worked tirelessly as a missionary, spreading Christianity and establishing missions in various parts of the Spanish colonies in the Americas.
In the 18th century, a man named Diego de Leija gained recognition for his contributions to the field of architecture. He was a prominent architect who designed and oversaw the construction of several notable buildings and churches in the Spanish territories of the New World, leaving a lasting legacy in the form of his architectural masterpieces.
As the centuries passed, the Leija surname continued to spread and find its place in various parts of the world, particularly in regions influenced by Spanish culture and settlement. Notable individuals bearing this name have made their mark in various fields, from literature and arts to politics and sciences, contributing to the rich tapestry of human history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leija
Among Census respondents with the surname Leija, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Leija 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 Leija surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.7% · 5,830
- White6.3% · 394
- Two or more races0.4% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 15
- Black or African American0.2% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leija
Leija 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
#5,293
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,580
+1,701 bearers (+34.9%)
Per 100,000 2.23
Rank movement Up 1,133 places
2020
#5,352
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,289
-291 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 2.10
Rank movement Down 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,426 | 4,879 | 1.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,293 | 6,580 | 2.23 | +1,701 bearers (+34.9%) | Up 1,133 places |
| 2020 | #5,352 | 6,289 | 2.10 | -291 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 59 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 Leija 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 | #5,293 | #5,352 | -1.1% |
| Count | 6,580 | 6,289 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.23 | 2.10 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leija bearers went from 6,580 to 6,289 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,293 to #5,352.
FAQ
Leija surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leija?
Name Census estimates that about 7,212 living Americans carry the surname Leija. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,526 residents.
How common is Leija?
Leija ranks #5,352 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,289 people with the surname Leija. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,212), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Leija.
Has Leija become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leija went from 6,580 recorded bearers to 6,289. That is a decrease of 291 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,293 to #5,352.
What does the Census say about the background of Leija?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leija, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Leija in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (5,830 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leija appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.7%), White (6.3%), Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Leija (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 Leija mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Leija, referring to someone from the town of Leija, Spain. 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 Leija (2.10 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 Leija?
Find out how many people are called Leija on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.