Leonor last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Leonor

A surname derived from the Greek word "leon" meaning lion.

Leonor, 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 Leonor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leonor in America

Leonor is the 27707th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leonor surname appeared 868 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 Leonor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leonor 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 27707 35522 -24.72%
Count 868 599 36.67%
Proportion per 100k 0.29 0.22 27.45%

The history of the last name Leonor

The surname LEONOR has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Spain and Portugal. It traces its roots back to the medieval period, approximately between the 10th and 15th centuries. The name is derived from the Spanish and Portuguese word "león," which translates to "lion" in English, and is likely associated with the heraldic symbols or coats of arms used by noble families during that era.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LEONOR can be found in the Catalan Atlas, a collection of maps and charts produced by the celebrated cartographer Abraham Cresques in the year 1375. This atlas was commissioned by the King of Aragon and contains references to individuals bearing the surname LEONOR, indicating their presence in the region during that time.

In the late 15th century, the name LEONOR appeared in several historical documents related to the Spanish Inquisition. These records mention individuals with this surname who were persecuted or interrogated by the Inquisition due to their religious beliefs or heritage.

During the 16th century, the name LEONOR gained prominence in the Spanish-speaking regions of the Americas, as conquistadors and settlers from the Iberian Peninsula established colonies in the New World. One notable figure was Juan LEONOR, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico in the early 1500s.

Another individual of significance was Isabel LEONOR, a 17th-century writer and poet from Seville, Spain. She was renowned for her contributions to the Spanish Golden Age literature and her works were widely read throughout the Spanish-speaking world.

In the 18th century, the LEONOR surname was documented in the records of the Spanish Empire's colonies in the Philippines. One such individual was Francisco LEONOR, a colonial administrator and military officer who served as the Governor of the Mariana Islands from 1737 to 1742.

The 19th century saw the emergence of several prominent figures bearing the LEONOR surname. One example is Pedro LEONOR, a Chilean politician and statesman who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs during the 1860s and played a crucial role in resolving territorial disputes with neighboring countries.

It is important to note that while the surname LEONOR has a rich history and has been documented in various regions over the centuries, it is not currently among the most common surnames in Spain, Portugal, or other parts of the world. Nevertheless, it remains a significant part of the cultural and historical heritage of the Iberian Peninsula and its former colonial territories.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leonor

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

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 Leonor was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 8.53% 74
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 23.85% 207
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.30% 20
Hispanic Origin 64.40% 559

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 Leonor has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 8.53% 8.51% 0.23%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 23.85% 28.05% -16.18%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.30% 1.84% 22.22%
Hispanic 64.40% 59.27% 8.30%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Leonor last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/leonor-surname-popularity/.

"Leonor last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/leonor-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Leonor last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/leonor-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.