2000
#1,749
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,769
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.96
Uncommon Last name
Leyva
A Spanish topographic surname referring to someone living near a raised area, hillock, or mound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,934 Americans carry the last name Leyva. That puts it at #1,322 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,450 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leyva 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
30K
1 in 11,450
Census rank
#1,322
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 26,104 bearers of the surname Leyva in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1322nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leyva, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leyva
The surname Leyva is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. It is believed to derive from the Spanish word "leiva," which means "boundary" or "limit," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone living near a border or boundary line.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Leyva can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval document from the 14th century that recorded land ownership in Castile. This document mentions individuals bearing the name Leyva, indicating that the surname was well-established in Spain by that time.
The name Leyva is also linked to various places in Spain, such as the town of Leyva in the province of Soria, Castile and León. This town's name is likely related to the surname's origin, further reinforcing its connection to the concept of boundaries or limits.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Leyva. One of the most prominent was Antonio de Leyva (1480-1536), a Spanish military commander who served under Emperor Charles V. He played a significant role in the Italian Wars and was renowned for his defense of Pavia against the French in 1524.
Another noteworthy figure was Juan de Leyva (1508-1583), a Spanish nobleman and military leader who served as the Governor of the Duchy of Milan from 1555 to 1556. He was also a member of the Council of State under King Philip II of Spain.
In the realm of literature, Ramón de Leyva (1912-1980) was a Spanish poet and writer known for his works exploring existential themes and the human condition. He was a member of the Generation of '36 literary movement and received several awards for his poetry.
Juan de Leyva y de la Cerda (1644-1706) was a Spanish nobleman and military officer who served as the Viceroy of New Spain (present-day Mexico) from 1699 to 1701. He is remembered for his efforts to improve the administration and infrastructure of the colony.
Lastly, Gustavo Leyva (1936-2021) was a Mexican actor and director who had a prolific career in Mexican cinema and television. He was known for his versatility and appeared in numerous films, telenovelas, and stage productions over the course of his six-decade career.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leyva
Among Census respondents with the surname Leyva, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Leyva 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 Leyva surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.2% · 24,322
- White4.8% · 1,255
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 280
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 101
- Two or more races0.3% · 88
- Black or African American0.2% · 58
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leyva
Leyva 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
#1,351
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,153
+7,384 bearers (+39.3%)
Per 100,000 8.87
Rank movement Up 398 places
2020
#1,322
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,104
-49 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 8.73
Rank movement Up 29 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,749 | 18,769 | 6.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,351 | 26,153 | 8.87 | +7,384 bearers (+39.3%) | Up 398 places |
| 2020 | #1,322 | 26,104 | 8.73 | -49 bearers (-0.2%) | Up 29 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 Leyva 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 | #1,351 | #1,322 | 2.1% |
| Count | 26,153 | 26,104 | -0.2% |
| Per 100K | 8.87 | 8.73 | -1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leyva bearers went from 26,153 to 26,104 (-0.2% change). The surname moved up 29 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,351 to #1,322.
FAQ
Leyva surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leyva?
Name Census estimates that about 29,934 living Americans carry the surname Leyva. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,450 residents.
How common is Leyva?
Leyva ranks #1,322 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 26,104 people with the surname Leyva. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,934), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Leyva.
Has Leyva become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leyva went from 26,153 recorded bearers to 26,104. That is a decrease of 49 (-0.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,351 to #1,322.
What does the Census say about the background of Leyva?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leyva, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Leyva in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (24,322 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leyva appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.2%), White (4.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Leyva (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 Leyva mean?
A Spanish topographic surname referring to someone living near a raised area, hillock, or mound. 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 Leyva (8.73 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 Leyva?
You can see how many people are called Leyva on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.