2000
#9,789
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,049
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Leitch
Derived from a Gaelic nickname meaning "physician" or "healer," likely referring to an ancestor's occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,618 Americans carry the last name Leitch. That puts it at #9,798 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,736 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leitch 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 Leitch with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 94,736
Census rank
#9,798
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,155 bearers of the surname Leitch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9798th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leitch, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leitch
The surname Leitch is of Scottish origin, originating from the ancient Gaelic language spoken in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. It is derived from the Gaelic word "leitir," meaning a slope or hillside, indicating that the name was likely given to families living on or near a slope or hillside.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various spellings, such as Leytch, Leitche, and Leitch, in various historical records and documents from the Scottish Lowlands and Highlands.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Leitch was John Leitch, who was mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1329. Another notable figure was Sir Robert Leitch, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.
The name Leitch has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history, including James Leitch (1808-1870), a Scottish architect who designed several prominent buildings in Glasgow, and William Leitch (1804-1890), a Scottish-born Australian explorer and surveyor who played a significant role in the exploration and settlement of Western Australia.
Another notable figure was John Leitch (1817-1888), a Scottish minister and author who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1886. In more recent times, David Leitch (born 1975) is a renowned stunt performer, actor, and film director, known for his work on films such as "Deadpool 2" and "Atomic Blonde."
The surname Leitch has also been linked to various place names in Scotland, such as Leitchtown, a village in Moray, and Leitchriggs, a farm near Dumfries. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and the Gaelic word "leitir," suggesting that the name was likely derived from families living in or near these locations.
While the surname Leitch may not be as widely known as some other Scottish surnames, it has a rich history and connections to various areas of Scotland, with its origins tracing back to the ancient Gaelic language and the rugged landscapes of the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leitch
Among Census respondents with the surname Leitch, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Leitch 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 Leitch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 2,778
- Black or African American5.9% · 186
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 83
- Two or more races2.4% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leitch
Leitch 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
#9,976
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,234
+185 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 187 places
2020
#9,798
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,155
-79 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Up 178 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,789 | 3,049 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,976 | 3,234 | 1.10 | +185 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 187 places |
| 2020 | #9,798 | 3,155 | 1.06 | -79 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 178 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 Leitch 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 | #9,976 | #9,798 | 1.8% |
| Count | 3,234 | 3,155 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.10 | 1.06 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leitch bearers went from 3,234 to 3,155 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 178 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,976 to #9,798.
FAQ
Leitch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leitch?
Name Census estimates that about 3,618 living Americans carry the surname Leitch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,736 residents.
How common is Leitch?
Leitch ranks #9,798 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 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 3,155 people with the surname Leitch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,618), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 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 Leitch.
Has Leitch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leitch went from 3,234 recorded bearers to 3,155. That is a decrease of 79 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,976 to #9,798.
What does the Census say about the background of Leitch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leitch, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) 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 Leitch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (2,778 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leitch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Black (5.9%), 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 Leitch (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 Leitch mean?
Derived from a Gaelic nickname meaning "physician" or "healer," likely referring to an ancestor's occupation. 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 Leitch (1.06 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 Leitch?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Leitch on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.