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

Lesh, 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 Lesh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lesh in America

Lesh is the 15681st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lesh surname appeared 1,861 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Lesh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lesh 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 Lesh

The surname Lesh has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in areas that are now part of modern-day Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.

One theory suggests that the name Lesh is derived from the Slavic word "les," meaning "forest" or "woods." This could indicate that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived in or near forested areas, or perhaps were involved in professions related to forestry or woodworking.

Another possibility is that the name Lesh is a variant of the more common Slavic surname Leszczyk, which itself is a diminutive form of the name Leszek. Leszek is a Polish name derived from the Slavic elements "les" (forest) and "sław" (glory), potentially suggesting a connection to notable individuals associated with forested regions or woodlands.

In historical records, the earliest known references to the surname Lesh can be found in Polish and Ukrainian documents dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. For example, a record from 1583 mentions a certain Marcin Lesh, a landowner in the region of Galicia (now part of western Ukraine).

Among notable individuals bearing the surname Lesh, one can mention Andrzej Lesh (1619-1673), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Polish-Swedish wars of the mid-17th century. Another prominent figure was Ivan Lesh (1756-1824), a Ukrainian philosopher and theologian who made significant contributions to the development of religious thought in the Russian Empire.

In the 19th century, Mikhail Lesh (1822-1892) was a Russian painter and art teacher who worked in the academic style and is known for his portraits and historical paintings. Around the same time, Stanisław Lesh (1841-1909) was a Polish architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Warsaw and other cities.

Moving into the 20th century, Bohdan Lesh (1909-1981) was a Ukrainian writer and literary critic who played a significant role in the development of modern Ukrainian literature, particularly during the period of Soviet rule.

It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as Lesch, Lesh, or Leszh, may have existed throughout history, reflecting regional linguistic differences or transcription conventions. Additionally, the name may have been associated with certain place names or geographic features, further contributing to its evolution and spread.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lesh

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

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

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

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