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

Leis, 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 Leis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leis in America

Leis is the 11111th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leis surname appeared 2,855 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Leis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leis 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 Leis

The surname LEIS is believed to have originated in Germany, particularly in the northern regions, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "leis," which means "little" or "small." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone of diminutive stature or as a way to distinguish between individuals with the same first name.

One of the earliest documented instances of the LEIS surname can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a medieval manuscript compiled in the 9th century that recorded land transactions in the region of Westphalia. The name appears in various spellings, including "Leis," "Leys," and "Leiss," indicating the fluidity of surname spellings during that time.

In the 13th century, a man named Johannes Leis was recorded as a resident of the town of Münster, which was a prominent ecclesiastical center in the Holy Roman Empire. This provides evidence of the surname's presence in the area during the High Middle Ages.

The LEIS surname has also been linked to several place names in Germany, such as Leisau, a village in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, and Leissigen, a municipality in the district of Oberallgäu, Bavaria. These connections suggest that the surname may have originated as a locative name, derived from the name of a particular place.

Notable individuals with the surname LEIS throughout history include:

1. Johann Heinrich Leis (1758-1831), a German musician and composer from Reutlingen, Württemberg.
2. Friedrich Leis (1806-1878), a German painter and illustrator from Mannheim, Baden.
3. Johann Leis (1856-1932), an Austrian architect best known for designing the Vienna Burgtheater.
4. Hans Leis (1886-1962), a German World War I flying ace credited with 24 aerial victories.
5. Günter Leis (1921-2008), a German actor and theater director who appeared in numerous films and television productions.

While the surname LEIS may have originated from humble beginnings as a descriptive nickname or a locative name, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries, contributing to the rich tapestry of German cultural history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leis

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

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

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

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