2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Letteney
A habitational surname derived from a place name, likely relating to a location of residency.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Letteney. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Letteney 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Letteney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Letteney, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Letteney
The surname Letteney has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from a place name, possibly a variation of the Old English word "lyttelinga," which means "little people" or "small folk." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have hailed from a settlement or region known for its diminutive inhabitants.
The earliest recorded instances of the Letteney surname can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. While the exact spelling may have varied slightly, entries such as "Littelinge" and "Litteling" have been found, indicating the presence of this surname or its variations during that period.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named John Letteney was recorded as a landowner in the county of Gloucestershire. This suggests that the family had established roots and acquired wealth in the region by that time. Another prominent individual, Sir William Letteney, was a knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, during the Hundred Years' War between England and France.
The Letteney surname has also been linked to various place names throughout England, such as Littleney in Gloucestershire and Littlington in Cambridgeshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and variations of the surname over time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Thomas Letteney (1525-1588) was a renowned scholar and Oxford University professor. He made significant contributions to the fields of theology and philosophy during the English Renaissance period.
Another notable bearer of the Letteney surname was Sir Robert Letteney (1620-1692), a successful merchant and philanthropist who endowed several charitable institutions in London. His legacy continues to this day through the Letteney Foundation, established to support educational and social causes.
During the 18th century, the Letteney family gained prominence in the legal profession, with several members serving as judges and barristers in various courts across England. One such figure was Sir John Letteney (1745-1821), who was appointed Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in 1798.
While the Letteney surname has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the early medieval period in England, reflecting the rich history and diversity of the country's population.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Letteney
Among Census respondents with the surname Letteney, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Letteney 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 Letteney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 87
- Two or more races10.0% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Letteney
Letteney 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 13,880 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 5,293 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 13,880 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 5,293 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 Letteney 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 | #160,975 | #155,682 | 3.3% |
| Count | 100 | 100 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Letteney bearers went from 100 to 100 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 5,293 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #155,682.
FAQ
Letteney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Letteney?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Letteney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Letteney?
Letteney ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Letteney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Letteney.
Has Letteney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Letteney went from 100 recorded bearers to 100. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Letteney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Letteney, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Letteney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Letteney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Two or More Races (10.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Letteney (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 Letteney mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name, likely relating to a location of residency. 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 Letteney (0.03 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 Letteney?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.