2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Leivan
An archaic anglicized spelling of the Latvian surname Leibans.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Leivan. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leivan 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Leivan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leivan, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Two or More Races (8.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leivan
The surname LEIVAN is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated in the region of Galicia, in northwestern Spain, where it was likely derived from a place name or a descriptive term related to the local geography or topography.
One theory suggests that LEIVAN may have originated from the Galician word "leiva," meaning a flat or level area of land. This could indicate that the name was initially given to someone who resided in or near such a geographical feature. Alternatively, it may have been derived from a combination of the Galician words "leva" (to lift or raise) and "an" (a suffix denoting place), potentially referring to an elevated or raised location.
Historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries mention individuals bearing variations of the LEIVAN surname, such as Leivano and Leiván, in various regions of Galicia. One notable early reference is found in a 1287 document from the Monastery of Samos, which mentions a certain Rodrigo Leivano as a landowner in the area.
In the late 15th century, the name LEIVAN appears in the chronicles of the Spanish Reconquista, with a notable figure named Juan de Leivan (c. 1450-1520) serving as a military commander under King Ferdinand II of Aragon during the conquest of Granada. Juan de Leivan's exploits were documented in several historical accounts of the time.
Another prominent individual bearing the surname was María Leivan (c. 1520-1580), a renowned poetess and writer from Seville, whose works reflected the cultural and literary renaissance of the Spanish Golden Age.
In the 17th century, Pedro Leivan (1605-1677), a Galician-born Jesuit priest and missionary, gained recognition for his efforts in evangelizing and educating the indigenous populations of Paraguay and Argentina.
During the 18th century, the LEIVAN surname spread beyond Spain, with records indicating individuals bearing the name in various parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Caribbean and Latin America. One such individual was José Antonio Leivan (1745-1820), a prominent landowner and politician in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Throughout history, the LEIVAN surname has been associated with various professions, including military service, literature, religion, and politics, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leivan
Among Census respondents with the surname Leivan, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Two or More Races (8.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Leivan 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 Leivan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.1% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino9.1% · 10
- Two or more races8.2% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leivan
Leivan 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,114 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-10 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,218 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 6,114 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 10,218 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 Leivan 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 | #139,228 | #149,446 | -7.3% |
| Count | 120 | 110 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leivan bearers went from 120 to 110 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 10,218 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #149,446.
FAQ
Leivan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leivan?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Leivan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Leivan?
Leivan ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 110 people with the surname Leivan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Leivan.
Has Leivan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leivan went from 120 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Leivan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leivan, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Two or More Races (8.2%). 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 Leivan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.1% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leivan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.1%), Hispanic (9.1%), Two or More Races (8.2%). 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 Leivan (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 Leivan mean?
An archaic anglicized spelling of the Latvian surname Leibans. 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 Leivan (0.04 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 Leivan?
Want to know how many people have the surname Leivan? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.