2000
#14,604
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,869
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Leveille
Derived from the Old French word "esveillier," meaning "to awaken" or referring to a watchful or alert person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,345 Americans carry the last name Leveille. That puts it at #14,107 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,164 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leveille 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
2.3K
1 in 146,164
Census rank
#14,107
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,045 bearers of the surname Leveille in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14107th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leveille, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Black (28.9%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leveille
The surname LEVEILLE is of French origin, deriving from the Old French word "lever," meaning "to rise" or "to get up." This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who habitually rose early or worked hard from an early hour.
The earliest recorded examples of the LEVEILLE surname date back to the late 12th century in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France. It is believed that the name may have originated as a place name, referring to a location where someone lived or worked who held this occupation or trait.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various records and manuscripts, such as the Livre des Métiers, a register of trades and guilds in medieval Paris. This suggests that the name was well-established among artisans and craftsmen during this period.
One of the earliest known bearers of the LEVEILLE surname was Jean LEVEILLE, a merchant from Rouen who lived in the late 14th century. Another notable individual was Pierre LEVEILLE, a French playwright and poet born in 1625 who was known for his satirical works critiquing the aristocracy.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, several members of the LEVEILLE family served in the French military, including François LEVEILLE (1671-1739), a lieutenant in the King's Musketeers, and Jacques LEVEILLE (1712-1788), a captain in the French Navy.
In the 19th century, Charles LEVEILLE (1820-1887) was a prominent French naturalist and entomologist who made significant contributions to the study of insects and their classification.
Another notable bearer of the LEVEILLE surname was Émile LEVEILLE (1838-1901), a French botanist and mycologist who specialized in the study of fungi and was responsible for identifying and naming numerous species.
Throughout history, the LEVEILLE surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, artists, military personnel, and scientists. While the name may have evolved in spelling over time, its French origins and connection to the concept of early rising or hard work have remained consistent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leveille
Among Census respondents with the surname Leveille, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Black (28.9%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Leveille 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 Leveille surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.2% · 1,272
- Black or African American28.9% · 591
- Two or more races4.9% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leveille
Leveille 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
#14,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,017
+148 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 130 places
2020
#14,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,045
+28 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 627 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,604 | 1,869 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,734 | 2,017 | 0.68 | +148 bearers (+7.9%) | Down 130 places |
| 2020 | #14,107 | 2,045 | 0.68 | +28 bearers (+1.4%) | Up 627 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 Leveille 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 | #14,734 | #14,107 | 4.3% |
| Count | 2,017 | 2,045 | 1.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.68 | 0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leveille bearers went from 2,017 to 2,045 (+1.4% change). The surname moved up 627 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,734 to #14,107.
FAQ
Leveille surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leveille?
Name Census estimates that about 2,345 living Americans carry the surname Leveille. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,164 residents.
How common is Leveille?
Leveille ranks #14,107 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,045 people with the surname Leveille. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,345), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Leveille.
Has Leveille become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leveille went from 2,017 recorded bearers to 2,045. That is an increase of 28 (+1.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,734 to #14,107.
What does the Census say about the background of Leveille?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leveille, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Black (28.9%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Leveille in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.2% (1,272 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leveille appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.2%), Black (28.9%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Leveille (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 Leveille mean?
Derived from the Old French word "esveillier," meaning "to awaken" or referring to a watchful or alert person. 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 Leveille (0.68 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 surname Leveille?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.