2000
#31,530
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 694
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Very Rare Last name
Leven
A locational surname referring to one from the town of Leven in Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 827 Americans carry the last name Leven. That puts it at #33,925 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 414,455 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leven 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Leven with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
827
1 in 414,455
Census rank
#33,925
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
721
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 721 bearers of the surname Leven in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 33925th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leven, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.5%) and Black (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leven
The surname Leven has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "lefer," which means "to remain or stay." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a particular location for an extended period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Leven can be found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls from the 13th and 14th centuries. In these rolls, the name appears as "de Leuen," indicating its Scottish roots.
The name Leven is also closely associated with the town of Leven in Fife, Scotland. This town, located on the coast of the Firth of Forth, was once an important fishing and trading port. It is likely that some individuals bearing the surname Leven originally hailed from this area or had strong connections to it.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Alexander Leven (c. 1500-1560) served as a Scottish prelate and was the Bishop of Aberdeen from 1558 until his death. His leadership during the tumultuous period of the Scottish Reformation left a lasting impact on the region.
Another individual of historical significance was Sir William Leven (1600-1661), a Scottish soldier and military commander who played a prominent role in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. He served as a general in the Scottish Covenanter army and was known for his military exploits during the English Civil War.
During the 18th century, Thomas Leven (1720-1788) gained recognition as a British naval officer and explorer. He is particularly remembered for his service in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and his exploration of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
In the realm of literature, John Leven (1834-1908) was a Scottish poet and author who wrote extensively about his homeland. His works, such as "Ballads of the Covenant" and "Poems and Prose Sketches," captured the essence of Scottish culture and history.
The surname Leven has also been associated with various place names across Scotland, such as Leven Valley, Leven Beach, and Leven Links, further solidifying its Scottish heritage and territorial connections.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leven
Among Census respondents with the surname Leven, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.5%) and Black (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Leven 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 Leven surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.9% · 547
- Hispanic or Latino13.5% · 97
- Black or African American4.2% · 30
- Two or more races3.9% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leven
Leven 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
#36,695
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 609
-85 bearers (-12.2%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 5,165 places
2020
#33,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 721
+112 bearers (+18.4%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Up 2,770 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,530 | 694 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #36,695 | 609 | 0.21 | -85 bearers (-12.2%) | Down 5,165 places |
| 2020 | #33,925 | 721 | 0.24 | +112 bearers (+18.4%) | Up 2,770 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 Leven 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 | #36,695 | #33,925 | 7.5% |
| Count | 609 | 721 | 18.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.24 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leven bearers went from 609 to 721 (+18.4% change). The surname moved up 2,770 positions in the national ranking, going from #36,695 to #33,925.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Leven
FAQ
Leven surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leven?
Name Census estimates that about 827 living Americans carry the surname Leven. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 414,455 residents.
How common is Leven?
Leven ranks #33,925 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 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 721 people with the surname Leven. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (827), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 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 Leven.
Has Leven become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leven went from 609 recorded bearers to 721. That is an increase of 112 (+18.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #36,695 to #33,925.
What does the Census say about the background of Leven?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leven, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.5%) and Black (4.2%). 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 Leven in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.9% (547 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leven appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.9%), Hispanic (13.5%), Black (4.2%). 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 Leven (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 Leven mean?
A locational surname referring to one from the town of Leven in Scotland. 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 Leven (0.24 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 Leven?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.