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

Lesane, 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 Lesane surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lesane in America

Lesane is the 21568th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lesane surname appeared 1,210 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 Lesane.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lesane 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 Lesane

The surname Lesane can be traced back to the West African region, particularly present-day Senegal and Mali, where it has its origins during the 13th-15th century period. It is believed to have derived from the Wolof language, with possible links to the words "les" meaning "beauty" and "sane" meaning "child" or "offspring."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lesane appears in the chronicles of the Malian Empire, specifically in reference to a prominent family from the region of Timbuktu during the reign of Mansa Musa in the early 14th century. The Lesane family was known for their involvement in scholarly pursuits and played a significant role in the flourishing of intellectual and cultural life in the region.

In the 16th century, the name Lesane can be found in historical records from the Jolof Empire, a powerful West African state located in what is now Senegal. It is documented that a notable figure named Mamadou Lesane served as a counselor to the Jolof ruler, Brak al-Nahr, during the late 1500s.

As the African diaspora spread across the globe due to the transatlantic slave trade, the name Lesane traveled to the Americas, where it can be traced in various historical records and documents. One prominent individual bearing this surname was Lesane Cryor, an African-American abolitionist and educator born in 1838 in Virginia, who dedicated his life to advocating for the rights and education of freed slaves.

In the realm of literature, the name Lesane gained recognition through the works of Langston Hughes, the renowned African-American poet and writer born in 1902. His maternal grandmother's maiden name was Lesane, and he paid tribute to his ancestry by incorporating the name into one of his literary characters.

Another notable figure was Ramah Lesane, a successful African-American businessman and community leader born in 1901 in North Carolina, who played a crucial role in advocating for civil rights and promoting economic empowerment in his local community.

The surname Lesane has also been carried by several notable figures in the field of sports, including boxer Tommy Lesane, born in 1930 in Georgia, who achieved recognition as a welterweight champion in the 1950s, and basketball player Lesane Cryer, born in 1948 in Alabama, who played professionally in the American Basketball Association (ABA) during the 1970s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lesane

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

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

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

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