2000
#13,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Leist
Derived from a Germanic personal name, Leist likely means "learned" or "knowledgeable."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,271 Americans carry the last name Leist. That puts it at #14,490 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,927 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leist 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Leist with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 150,927
Census rank
#14,490
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,980 bearers of the surname Leist in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14490th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leist, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leist
The surname Leist has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the early 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "leist," meaning "ledge" or "border," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who resided near a border or ledge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Leist can be found in the historical records of the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Leist was mentioned in a document dated 1436. This suggests that the name was already established in that region during the late medieval period.
In the 16th century, the name Leist appeared in various parts of Germany, including the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. During this time, the name was sometimes spelled slightly differently, such as "Leyst" or "Leyste," reflecting the variations in regional dialects and scribal practices.
The Leist surname gained prominence in the 17th century, with notable individuals bearing the name. One such figure was Johann Leist (1592-1666), a German Lutheran theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg. Another notable Leist from this era was Hans Leist (1610-1678), a German artist and engraver known for his intricate woodcuts.
In the 18th century, the Leist name continued to be found across various German states and principalities. One individual of note was Johann Georg Leist (1725-1799), a German philosopher and mathematician who made significant contributions to the fields of logic and epistemology.
As the Leist family spread throughout Germany over the centuries, some members of the family eventually migrated to other parts of Europe and beyond. For example, in the 19th century, a branch of the Leist family settled in the Netherlands, where they became prominent in the field of horticulture and plant breeding.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Leist was the German writer and philosopher Theodor Leist (1885-1954), who was known for his works on ethics and social philosophy. Another notable figure was Hans Leist (1886-1965), a German architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the reconstruction of Munich after World War II.
The Leist surname has a rich history, originating in medieval Germany and spreading across various regions over the centuries. While the name may have initially been associated with geographical features, it has since been borne by numerous individuals who have made their mark in fields ranging from theology and philosophy to art and architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leist
Among Census respondents with the surname Leist, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Leist 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 Leist surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 1,839
- Two or more races3.2% · 64
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 11
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leist
Leist 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
#12,904
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,382
+258 bearers (+12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 283 places
2020
#14,490
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,980
-402 bearers (-16.9%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 1,586 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,187 | 2,124 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,904 | 2,382 | 0.81 | +258 bearers (+12.1%) | Up 283 places |
| 2020 | #14,490 | 1,980 | 0.66 | -402 bearers (-16.9%) | Down 1,586 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 Leist 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 | #12,904 | #14,490 | -12.3% |
| Count | 2,382 | 1,980 | -16.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.66 | -18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leist bearers went from 2,382 to 1,980 (-16.9% change). The surname moved down 1,586 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,904 to #14,490.
FAQ
Leist surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leist?
Name Census estimates that about 2,271 living Americans carry the surname Leist. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,927 residents.
How common is Leist?
Leist ranks #14,490 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,980 people with the surname Leist. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,271), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Leist.
Has Leist become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leist went from 2,382 recorded bearers to 1,980. That is a decrease of 402 (-16.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,904 to #14,490.
What does the Census say about the background of Leist?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leist, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Leist in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (1,839 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leist appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Leist (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 Leist mean?
Derived from a Germanic personal name, Leist likely means "learned" or "knowledgeable." 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 Leist (0.66 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 common is the surname Leist?
See how many people have the surname Leist on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.