2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Leili
A Persian surname derived from the flower Leilac or Persian Lilac.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Leili. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leili 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Leili in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leili, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leili
The surname LEILI is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the region of modern-day Iran. It likely emerged during the medieval period, around the 10th to 12th centuries.
LEILI is thought to be derived from the Persian word "leili," which means "night" or "dark." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive moniker, referring to someone with dark features or perhaps someone who worked at night.
In some historical records, the name has been spelled slightly differently, such as "Layli" or "Leyli." These variations might be due to regional dialects or differences in transcription over time.
One of the earliest documented instances of the LEILI surname can be found in the writings of the renowned Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi, who lived from around 1141 to 1209. In his epic poem "Khosrow and Shirin," Ganjavi mentions a character named Leili, suggesting that the name was in use during that era.
Another notable figure bearing the LEILI surname was Abul-Hassan Leili, a Persian poet and philosopher who lived in the 11th century. He was known for his contributions to the literary and intellectual circles of his time.
During the Safavid Dynasty in Persia (1501-1736), the LEILI name became more prominent. One example is Mirza Muhammad Taqi Leili, a renowned calligrapher and artist who lived in the 17th century.
As the LEILI surname spread beyond the Middle East, it also found its way into other regions, such as South Asia. One notable individual was Syed Hossain Ali Leili, a Bengali writer and journalist who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In more recent times, the LEILI surname has been carried by individuals like Mohammad Reza Leili, an Iranian politician and diplomat who served as the country's ambassador to several nations in the late 20th century.
While these are just a few examples, the LEILI surname has a rich history that spans centuries and spans multiple regions, reflecting the cultural and linguistic influences of the Middle East and surrounding areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leili
Among Census respondents with the surname Leili, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Leili 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 Leili surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leili
Leili 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-16 bearers (-13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,680 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-5 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,127 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-13.0%) | Down 24,680 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 2,127 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 Leili 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 | #152,628 | #154,755 | -1.4% |
| Count | 107 | 102 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leili bearers went from 107 to 102 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 2,127 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #154,755.
FAQ
Leili surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leili?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Leili. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Leili?
Leili ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Leili. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Leili.
Has Leili become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leili went from 107 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Leili?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leili, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Leili in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leili appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (5.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Leili (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 Leili mean?
A Persian surname derived from the flower Leilac or Persian Lilac. 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 Leili (0.03 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 are called Leili?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Leili on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.