2000
#20,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,194
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.44
Rare Last name
Lesure
A French surname derived from the phrase "le sûr", meaning "the sure one".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,495 Americans carry the last name Lesure. That puts it at #20,578 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 229,267 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lesure 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
1.5K
1 in 229,267
Census rank
#20,578
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,304 bearers of the surname Lesure in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20578th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lesure, the largest self-reported group is Black at 71.6%. The next largest groups are White (18.6%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lesure
The surname LESURE originated in France and dates back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "le seur," which means "the sure one" or "the certain one." This name likely referred to someone who was considered reliable or trustworthy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 12th century in the region of Normandy, where a man named Raoul LESURE was mentioned in a local census record. The name also appeared in various medieval manuscripts and documents from different parts of northern France.
In the 13th century, there are records of a family named LESURE living in the village of Boissy-le-Sec, located in the Île-de-France region. This village name, which translates to "dry woods," may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.
During the Renaissance period, the name LESURE gained prominence with several notable individuals. One of them was Jean LESURE, a French physician who lived from 1532 to 1598 and wrote extensively on medical topics.
In the 17th century, a man named Pierre LESURE (1592-1670) served as a diplomat and ambassador for the French crown, representing the country in various negotiations with other European powers.
Another notable figure was Étienne LESURE (1717-1783), a French philosopher and writer who contributed to the Enlightenment movement with his works on ethics and political theory.
In the 19th century, a prominent composer and music critic named François-Joseph LESURE (1823-1900) gained recognition for his contributions to the French classical music scene.
Additionally, the name LESURE has been associated with various place names throughout France, such as the village of Lesure in the Picardy region, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lesure
Among Census respondents with the surname Lesure, the largest self-reported group is Black at 71.6%. The next largest groups are White (18.6%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Lesure 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 Lesure surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American71.6% · 934
- White18.6% · 243
- Two or more races5.7% · 74
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lesure
Lesure 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
#19,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,400
+206 bearers (+17.3%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Up 1,284 places
2020
#20,578
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,304
-96 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Down 1,244 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,618 | 1,194 | 0.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,334 | 1,400 | 0.47 | +206 bearers (+17.3%) | Up 1,284 places |
| 2020 | #20,578 | 1,304 | 0.44 | -96 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 1,244 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 Lesure 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 | #19,334 | #20,578 | -6.4% |
| Count | 1,400 | 1,304 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.47 | 0.44 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lesure bearers went from 1,400 to 1,304 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 1,244 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,334 to #20,578.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lesure
FAQ
Lesure surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lesure?
Name Census estimates that about 1,495 living Americans carry the surname Lesure. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 229,267 residents.
How common is Lesure?
Lesure ranks #20,578 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.44 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 1,304 people with the surname Lesure. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,495), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.44 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 Lesure.
Has Lesure become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lesure went from 1,400 recorded bearers to 1,304. That is a decrease of 96 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #19,334 to #20,578.
What does the Census say about the background of Lesure?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lesure, the largest self-reported group is Black at 71.6%. The next largest groups are White (18.6%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lesure in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.6% (934 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lesure appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (71.6%), White (18.6%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Lesure (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 Lesure mean?
A French surname derived from the phrase "le sûr", meaning "the sure one". 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 Lesure (0.44 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 share the surname Lesure?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.