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

Leonard, 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 Leonard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leonard in America

Leonard is the 338th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leonard surname appeared 91,475 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 31 people would have the surname Leonard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leonard 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 Leonard

The surname Leonard originated in England in the 12th century. It derived from the Germanic personal name Leonhard, which meant "brave lion" or "brave as a lion." The name was brought to England by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest records of the name Leonard appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where it is listed as Leonardus. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also mentions a Leonardus de Wycumbe from Buckinghamshire.

By the 13th century, the name had spread to various regions of England, with different spellings emerging. In Yorkshire, it appeared as Lyonard, while in Oxfordshire, it was written as Lunard. The name was also found in places like Derbyshire and Warwickshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Leonard was Sir Thomas Leonard (c. 1490-1544), a prominent English courtier and landowner during the reign of King Henry VIII. He served as a Member of Parliament and held several important positions, including Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire.

Other notable individuals with the Leonard surname include:

1. Henry Charles Leonard (1857-1933), an English composer and conductor known for his operas and orchestral works.

2. Elmore Leonard (1925-2013), an American novelist and screenwriter, renowned for his crime fiction and works adapted into films like "Get Shorty" and "Justified."

3. John Leonard (1639-1693), a British author and puritan minister, known for his book "The Boke of Vagabundes" which documented the lives of beggars and vagrants in 17th-century England.

4. Jacques Leonard (1701-1776), a French painter and engraver, noted for his portraits and historical paintings.

5. Mary Leonarda Terry (1856-1944), an American educator and missionary, who founded the College of West Africa in Monrovia, Liberia.

As the name Leonard spread across different regions, it also gave rise to various place names, such as Leonard Stanley in Gloucestershire and Leonardsley in Shropshire. These place names further contributed to the surname's evolution and regional variations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leonard

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

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

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

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