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

Lez, 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 Lez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lez in America

Lez is the 98982nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lez surname appeared 183 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 Lez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lez 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 Lez

The surname Lez originated in France, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "lé," which referred to a narrow strip of land. This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who resided near or owned such a strip of land.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Lez can be found in historical documents from the 12th century. One notable reference is found in the Cartulaire de Sainte-Croix d'Orléans, a collection of charters and deeds from the Abbey of Sainte-Croix in Orléans, where a certain "Robertus de Lez" is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "de Lees," "de Leys," and "de Leez," reflecting regional spelling variations. The Testa de Nevill, a survey of landholdings in England compiled around 1219, includes a reference to a "Robertus de Lees" from Lincolnshire.

During the 14th century, the surname Lez began to spread across Europe, with notable bearers including Johannes de Lez, a merchant from Flanders who is mentioned in records from the city of Bruges in 1387.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Lez was Guilhem de Lez, a troubadour from the Languedoc region of southern France who lived in the late 12th century. His works are preserved in various medieval manuscripts, reflecting the cultural significance of the name during that period.

Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Jean de Lez, a French nobleman and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was born around 1380 and served under the French king Charles VII, playing a crucial role in the capture of several English-held towns in the 1440s.

In the 15th century, the name Lez appeared in various place names across Europe, such as Lezoux, a commune in the Auvergne region of France, and Lezama, a town in the Basque Country of Spain. These place names likely derived from the same linguistic roots as the surname.

Other notable individuals with the surname Lez include Martín de Lez, a Spanish explorer who accompanied Juan Ponce de León on his expeditions to Florida in the early 16th century, and Gottfried Lez, a German composer and organist active in the late 17th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lez

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

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

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

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