2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Leyja
An Icelandic surname denoting one who lived near a rocky slope or cliff.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Leyja. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leyja 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Leyja in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leyja, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.5%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leyja
The surname Leyja finds its origins in the Basque region of northern Spain and southern France, dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Basque word "leyar," which means "muddy" or "marshy," suggesting that the name may have been initially associated with individuals residing in or near swampy areas.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Leyja can be traced back to the 11th century, where it appears in a medieval manuscript detailing land ownership records in the town of Biarritz, located in the Basque region of France. The document mentions a certain Petri de Leyja, who is believed to have been a landowner or nobleman at the time.
In the 13th century, the name Leyja is found in several historical records from the Kingdom of Navarre, which encompassed parts of modern-day Spain and France. One notable figure was Sancho de Leyja, a military commander who served under King Sancho VII of Navarre during the Reconquista period.
As the Basque people migrated and settled in different regions, the surname Leyja spread across the Iberian Peninsula and beyond. In the 15th century, a prominent individual named Juan de Leyja was recorded as a merchant and trader in the city of Seville, Spain, contributing to the economic prosperity of the region.
The name Leyja also made its way to the Americas during the Spanish colonization period. One of the earliest recorded instances was Pedro de Leyja, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century.
Throughout history, there have been various notable individuals bearing the surname Leyja, including:
1. Martín de Leyja (1525-1589), a Spanish priest and theologian who played a significant role in the Council of Trent.
2. Catalina de Leyja (1560-1628), a renowned Basque poet and writer known for her lyrical compositions in the Basque language.
3. Francisco de Leyja y Eraso (1635-1709), a Spanish military commander who served in the War of the Spanish Succession.
4. María de Leyja (1720-1782), a Spanish painter and artist recognized for her religious artwork and portraiture.
5. Ignacio de Leyja (1785-1853), a Basque politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1846 to 1847.
While the surname Leyja has its roots in the Basque region, it has since spread across various parts of the world, particularly in Spanish-speaking countries and regions influenced by Spanish colonization.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leyja
Among Census respondents with the surname Leyja, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.5%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Leyja 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 Leyja surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.3% · 106
- White7.5% · 9
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leyja
Leyja 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
#117,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
+30 bearers (+25.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 14,779 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-28 bearers (-18.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,569 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #117,480 | 148 | 0.05 | +30 bearers (+25.4%) | Up 14,779 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -28 bearers (-18.9%) | Down 24,569 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 Leyja 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 | #117,480 | #142,049 | -20.9% |
| Count | 148 | 120 | -18.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leyja bearers went from 148 to 120 (-18.9% change). The surname moved down 24,569 positions in the national ranking, going from #117,480 to #142,049.
FAQ
Leyja surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leyja?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Leyja. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Leyja?
Leyja ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 120 people with the surname Leyja. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Leyja.
Has Leyja become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leyja went from 148 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 28 (-18.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #117,480 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Leyja?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leyja, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.5%) and Black (1.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Leyja in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leyja appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.3%), White (7.5%), Black (1.7%). 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 Leyja (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 Leyja mean?
An Icelandic surname denoting one who lived near a rocky slope or cliff. 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 Leyja (0.04 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 last name Leyja?
See how many Americans have the surname Leyja on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.