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

Leos, 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 Leos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leos in America

Leos is the 5861st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leos surname appeared 5,888 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Leos.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leos 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 Leos

The surname Leos has its origins in Spain and derives from the Greek name Leon, meaning lion. The earliest known recorded instances of the name date back to the 12th century in the region of Castile, where it was likely an occupational surname referring to someone who worked with or handled lions.

In medieval Spain, lions were symbolic figures associated with royalty, strength, and bravery. The name Leos may have been given to individuals who displayed such qualities or worked in roles related to hunting or taming lions for the nobility.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Leos surname was Juan Leos, a knight who fought alongside King Alfonso VIII of Castile at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212. This pivotal victory over the Almohad Caliphate is celebrated in the Cantar de Mio Cid, a renowned medieval Spanish epic poem.

By the 14th century, the Leos surname had spread to other regions of Spain, including Aragon and Catalonia. Historical records from this period mention individuals such as Pedro Leos, a merchant from Barcelona who traded extensively with Italian city-states like Genoa and Venice.

As the Spanish Empire expanded across the Atlantic, the Leos surname also found its way to the Americas. One notable figure was Hernán Leos, a conquistador born in Seville in 1502, who accompanied Francisco Pizarro on his expeditions to conquer the Inca Empire in present-day Peru.

In the realm of arts and literature, the Leos surname gained prominence with Miguel Leos, a renowned playwright from Madrid born in 1578. His works, including La Vida es Sueño (Life is a Dream), are considered masterpieces of the Spanish Golden Age of literature.

Another prominent individual with the Leos surname was María Leos, a 17th-century nun and mystic from Seville. Her writings and spiritual teachings significantly influenced the Catholic Church in Spain during her lifetime.

While the Leos surname has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Castile, where it first emerged as an occupational surname reflecting the importance of lions in Spanish history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leos

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

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

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

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