2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Leikness
A Norwegian surname derived from the Old Norse word "leik", meaning "play" or "game".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Leikness. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leikness 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Leikness in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leikness, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.8%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leikness
The surname LEIKNESS is of Norwegian origin, with roots dating back to the Viking Age. It is believed to have originated in the western regions of Norway, particularly around the fjords and coastal areas.
The name LEIKNESS is derived from the Old Norse words "leik" and "nes," which translate to "play" or "game" and "headland" or "promontory," respectively. This suggests that the name may have referred to a place or settlement located on a promontory or coastal area where games or festivities were held.
Records from the 13th century mention individuals with variations of the name, such as "Leiknessson" or "Leiknessøn," indicating their place of origin or ancestry. These variations likely evolved over time into the modern spelling of LEIKNESS.
One of the earliest documented references to the name LEIKNESS can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomas and documents. In a charter dated 1327, a man named Eirik Leiknessson is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, several notable individuals bore the LEIKNESS surname. Torbjørn Leikness (1542-1618) was a prominent landowner and farmer in the Hardanger region, while Ragnhild Leikness (1587-1663) was a respected herbalist and healer in the village of Leirvik.
In the 18th century, Hans Leikness (1723-1798) was a skilled shipbuilder from the town of Rosendal, known for his craftsmanship in constructing sturdy fishing vessels. His son, Nils Leikness (1757-1832), followed in his footsteps and became a respected ship's captain, sailing trade routes along the Norwegian coast.
Another notable figure was Ingrid Leikness (1865-1942), a pioneering educator who established one of the first schools for girls in the town of Stavanger. Her efforts played a significant role in promoting equal educational opportunities for women in Norway.
While the LEIKNESS surname may not be as prevalent as some others, it has a rich history deeply rooted in the coastal regions of Norway, reflecting the country's maritime traditions and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leikness
Among Census respondents with the surname Leikness, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.8%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Leikness 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 Leikness surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 100
- Two or more races7.8% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leikness
Leikness 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+12 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,430 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-7 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,430 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 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 2,430 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 8,430 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 Leikness 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 | #137,327 | #145,757 | -6.1% |
| Count | 122 | 115 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leikness bearers went from 122 to 115 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 8,430 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #145,757.
FAQ
Leikness surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leikness?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Leikness. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Leikness?
Leikness ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Leikness. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Leikness.
Has Leikness become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leikness went from 122 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Leikness?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leikness, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.8%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Leikness in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leikness appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Two or More Races (7.8%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Leikness (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 Leikness mean?
A Norwegian surname derived from the Old Norse word "leik", meaning "play" or "game". 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 Leikness (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 Leikness?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.