2000
#22,723
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,055
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.39
Rare Last name
Leoni
Derived from Italian "leone" meaning lion or from a place name in Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,307 Americans carry the last name Leoni. That puts it at #23,050 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 262,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leoni 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
1.3K
1 in 262,245
Census rank
#23,050
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,140 bearers of the surname Leoni in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23050th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leoni, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leoni
The surname LEONI is of Italian origin, derived from the Italian word "leone" meaning "lion." It first emerged during the medieval period in various regions of Italy, particularly in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto.
The name was likely initially used as a nickname or descriptive surname, given to individuals who displayed lion-like characteristics such as strength, courage, or a fierce demeanor. In some cases, it may have been bestowed upon families whose coats of arms featured a lion or who lived near an area associated with lions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LEONI can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Longobardo," a compilation of documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. The name appears in various forms, including "Leoni," "Leonius," and "de Leone."
During the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bore the surname LEONI. Among them was Leone Leoni (1509-1590), a renowned Italian sculptor and medalist who worked for the Papal court and the Medici family in Florence. Another prominent figure was Giacomo Leoni (1686-1746), an Italian architect and author who played a significant role in introducing the Palladian style of architecture to England.
In the 18th century, the LEONI name gained recognition through the works of Giovanni Battista Leoni (1686-1746), an Italian architect and engineer who designed several important buildings in Venice, including the Church of San Stae.
Moving forward in time, the 19th century saw the birth of Adolfo Leoni (1838-1916), an Italian painter and sculptor known for his religious and historical works, as well as his contributions to the decorative arts.
Another notable bearer of the surname LEONI was Giuseppe Leoni (1834-1908), an Italian politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Italy from 1908 to 1909.
While the surname LEONI has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage. However, its origins and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the Italian peninsula, where it has been a part of the cultural tapestry for centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leoni
Among Census respondents with the surname Leoni, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Leoni 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 Leoni surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.8% · 932
- Hispanic or Latino13.2% · 151
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 30
- Two or more races1.8% · 20
- Black or African American0.5% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leoni
Leoni 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
#23,472
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,083
+28 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Down 749 places
2020
#23,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,140
+57 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Up 422 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,723 | 1,055 | 0.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,472 | 1,083 | 0.37 | +28 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 749 places |
| 2020 | #23,050 | 1,140 | 0.38 | +57 bearers (+5.3%) | Up 422 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 Leoni 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 | #23,472 | #23,050 | 1.8% |
| Count | 1,083 | 1,140 | 5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.37 | 0.38 | 3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leoni bearers went from 1,083 to 1,140 (+5.3% change). The surname moved up 422 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,472 to #23,050.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Leoni
FAQ
Leoni surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leoni?
Name Census estimates that about 1,307 living Americans carry the surname Leoni. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 262,245 residents.
How common is Leoni?
Leoni ranks #23,050 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.38 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 1,140 people with the surname Leoni. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,307), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.38 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 Leoni.
Has Leoni become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leoni went from 1,083 recorded bearers to 1,140. That is an increase of 57 (+5.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #23,472 to #23,050.
What does the Census say about the background of Leoni?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leoni, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Leoni in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.8% (932 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leoni appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.8%), Hispanic (13.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Leoni (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 Leoni mean?
Derived from Italian "leone" meaning lion or from a place name in Italy. 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 Leoni (0.38 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 Leoni?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Leoni? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.