2000
#4,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,579
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.81
Rare Last name
Leroy
A French surname derived from the Old French "le roi," meaning "the king," likely referring to a servant of the king.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,456 Americans carry the last name Leroy. That puts it at #4,664 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,534 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leroy 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Leroy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.5K
1 in 40,534
Census rank
#4,664
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,374 bearers of the surname Leroy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4664th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leroy, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leroy
The surname LEROY has its origins in France, with the earliest records of the name dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the French words "le" and "roi," which translates to "the king." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who worked in royal service or was associated with the king in some way.
During the Middle Ages, the LEROY surname was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of France, such as Normandy and Picardy. It was commonly found in medieval records and documents, including the famous Domesday Book, which was commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname LEROY was Jean LEROY, a French nobleman who lived during the 13th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Louis IX and played a significant role in the Seventh Crusade.
In the 14th century, the surname LEROY was also associated with the city of Rouen in Normandy. The town's records mention a family called LEROY DU PETIT-QUEVILLY, who were influential landowners in the area.
Another notable bearer of the LEROY surname was Pierre LEROY, a French mathematician and physicist who lived from 1717 to 1785. He made significant contributions to the field of horology and is credited with developing the detached lever escapement, which greatly improved the accuracy of clocks and watches.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the LEROY surname spread throughout France and beyond, as individuals with this name migrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such person was René LEROY, a French explorer and cartographer who was born in 1654 and is known for his detailed maps of the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes region.
In the 19th century, the LEROY surname gained further prominence with the birth of Alphonse LEROY, a French artist and engraver who lived from 1809 to 1885. He is particularly renowned for his etchings and lithographs depicting scenes of everyday life in Paris.
Throughout its long history, the LEROY surname has been associated with various professions and social classes, from noblemen and royalty to artisans, scientists, and explorers. Despite its widespread distribution, the name has maintained its French origins and continues to be a prominent surname in France and other parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leroy
Among Census respondents with the surname Leroy, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Leroy 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 Leroy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.0% · 5,529
- Black or African American13.0% · 955
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 415
- Two or more races3.5% · 255
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 143
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 77
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leroy
Leroy 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
#4,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,759
+180 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 2.63
Rank movement Down 233 places
2020
#4,664
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,374
-385 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 2.47
Rank movement Down 93 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,338 | 7,579 | 2.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,571 | 7,759 | 2.63 | +180 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 233 places |
| 2020 | #4,664 | 7,374 | 2.47 | -385 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 93 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 Leroy 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 | #4,571 | #4,664 | -2.0% |
| Count | 7,759 | 7,374 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.63 | 2.47 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leroy bearers went from 7,759 to 7,374 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 93 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,571 to #4,664.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Leroy
FAQ
Leroy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leroy?
Name Census estimates that about 8,456 living Americans carry the surname Leroy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,534 residents.
How common is Leroy?
Leroy ranks #4,664 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.47 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,374 people with the surname Leroy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,456), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.47 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Leroy.
Has Leroy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leroy went from 7,759 recorded bearers to 7,374. That is a decrease of 385 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,571 to #4,664.
What does the Census say about the background of Leroy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leroy, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Hispanic (5.6%). 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 Leroy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.0% (5,529 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leroy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.0%), Black (13.0%), Hispanic (5.6%). 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 Leroy (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 Leroy mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French "le roi," meaning "the king," likely referring to a servant of the king. 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 Leroy (2.47 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 Leroy?
See how many people are called Leroy on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.