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

Leya, 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 Leya surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leya in America

Leya is the 139228th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leya surname appeared 120 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Leya.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leya 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 Leya

The surname LEYA is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Spain, specifically in the region of Asturias, during the 8th or 9th century. It is thought to have derived from the ancient Iberian word "leia," which referred to a type of stone or rock formation found in that area. The name may have initially been given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near or worked with these rock formations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LEYA can be found in a medieval document from the Monastery of San Salvador de Oviedo, dated around the year 1075. This document mentions a landowner named Gonzalo Leya, who had granted a parcel of land to the monastery. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the 11th century.

During the 12th century, the surname LEYA began to spread to other parts of Spain, particularly to the regions of Castile and León. It is mentioned in several municipal records and land grants from that period, indicating that families bearing this name had gained prominence and influence in various areas of the country.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Pedro Leya (c. 1320-1385) was a renowned architect and stonemason who oversaw the construction of several important buildings, including the Cathedral of Burgos. His work on this iconic Gothic cathedral is considered one of the greatest architectural achievements of the time.

Another prominent individual with the surname LEYA was Juana Leya (c. 1450-1520), a wealthy landowner and patron of the arts in the city of Toledo. She commissioned several works of art and literature from renowned artists and writers of the Renaissance period, contributing significantly to the cultural renaissance of Spain.

During the 16th century, a branch of the LEYA family migrated to the Americas, settling in various parts of the Spanish colonies. One notable figure from this era was Hernán Leya (c. 1540-1612), a conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Peru and later became a successful landowner and farmer in the region of present-day Bolivia.

In the 18th century, a renowned philosopher and writer named Miguel Leya (1725-1798) gained recognition for his influential works on ethics, politics, and social reform. His writings were widely read and discussed among the intellectual circles of the Spanish Enlightenment.

While the surname LEYA has its roots in the northern regions of Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly to Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America and other regions with historical ties to Spain. However, the earliest and most significant historical references to this name can be traced back to its origins in the Asturias region during the medieval period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leya

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

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

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

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