2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Leporte
A French surname meaning "the door" or "the gatekeeper."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Leporte. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leporte 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Leporte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leporte, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leporte
The surname LEPORTE originated in France, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French words "le" meaning "the" and "porte" meaning "door" or "gate," suggesting a connection to an occupation or residence near a notable entrance or gateway.
In medieval times, surnames often emerged from professions, locations, or distinguishing physical characteristics. LEPORTE likely referred to an individual who lived near a prominent gate or worked as a gatekeeper or doorman. This occupational surname was initially found in northern France, particularly in regions like Normandy and Picardy.
One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval manuscript from the 12th century, where a certain Robertus Leporte is mentioned. Another early record comes from the Rôles de l'Échiquier de Normandie, a collection of administrative records from the 13th century, which includes the name Willelmus Leporte.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Laporte, Delaporte, and Alaporte, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. One notable individual from this period was Jean Laporte, a French military commander who served under King Charles VI during the Hundred Years' War.
As the surname spread across France, it also found its way into other European countries. In the 16th century, a Dutch merchant named Pieter Leporte settled in Antwerp, where his descendants became prominent in the city's trade guilds.
The 17th century saw the birth of Jean-Baptiste Leporte, a French painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits. Another notable figure was Louis Leporte, a French architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Paris during the reign of Louis XIV.
In the 18th century, the name LEPORTE was associated with Jacques Leporte, a French botanist who contributed to the classification of plants and the development of modern taxonomy. Around the same time, Marie-Françoise Leporte, a French actress and playwright, gained recognition for her performances and literary works.
Moving into the 19th century, one significant bearer of the surname was Henri Leporte, a French engineer who pioneered the use of reinforced concrete in construction and played a crucial role in the development of modern civil engineering techniques.
Throughout its history, the surname LEPORTE has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including military leaders, artists, scientists, and intellectuals. Its origins can be traced back to medieval France, where it was likely associated with occupations or residences near gates or entrances, reflecting the rich tapestry of surname development and cultural influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leporte
Among Census respondents with the surname Leporte, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Leporte 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 Leporte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leporte
Leporte appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+9 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,280 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 9,280 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 Leporte 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 | #157,234 | #147,954 | 5.9% |
| Count | 103 | 112 | 8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 24.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leporte bearers went from 103 to 112 (+8.7% change). The surname moved up 9,280 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #147,954.
FAQ
Leporte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leporte?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Leporte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Leporte?
Leporte ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Leporte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Leporte.
Has Leporte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leporte went from 103 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 9 (+8.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Leporte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leporte, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Leporte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leporte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Leporte (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 Leporte mean?
A French surname meaning "the door" or "the gatekeeper." 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 Leporte (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 have the last name Leporte?
Want to know how many people are called Leporte? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.