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

Leitz, 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 Leitz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leitz in America

Leitz is the 24961st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leitz surname appeared 996 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Leitz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leitz 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 Leitz

The surname LEITZ is of German origin, traced back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the word "leitz," which in Old High German meant "woods" or "forest." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name lived in or near a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the LEITZ surname can be found in the town records of Augsburg, Germany, dating back to 1532. The name was spelled as "Leytze" at the time, which was a common variation during that period.

In the late 16th century, a notable figure named Hans LEITZ was mentioned in the chronicles of Nuremberg, a city in the German state of Bavaria. He was a respected craftsman and merchant, known for his skillful woodworking.

During the 17th century, the LEITZ surname appeared in various church records and tax rolls across several regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Hesse. This indicates that the name had spread and established roots in different parts of the country.

In the 18th century, a prominent individual named Johann Georg LEITZ (1717-1792) gained recognition as a renowned clockmaker and inventor in the city of Wetzlar, Hesse. His innovative contributions to the field of optics and precision mechanics earned him widespread acclaim.

Another notable figure was Carl LEITZ (1863-1939), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the renowned Leitz company, a leading manufacturer of optical instruments and cameras. His company's products, particularly the Leica camera, revolutionized the photography industry.

In the 19th century, the LEITZ surname was also found in the records of German immigrants who settled in various parts of the United States, Canada, and other countries, carrying the name to new regions.

Over the centuries, the LEITZ surname has been associated with several respected individuals and families, primarily in Germany and regions influenced by German culture and migration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leitz

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

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

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

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