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

Lezo, 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 Lezo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lezo in America

Lezo is the 119508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lezo surname appeared 145 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 Lezo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lezo 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 Lezo

The surname LEZO is of Spanish origin, originating in the Basque region of northern Spain during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Basque word "leza," meaning "cave" or "grotto," suggesting that the name may have been originally borne by someone who lived near or was associated with a notable cave.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LEZO can be found in the 14th-century archives of the village of Valcarlos, located in the Navarre region of Spain. In these records, a certain Pedro de Lezo is mentioned as a landowner and prominent figure in the community.

During the 16th century, the LEZO surname gained prominence with the birth of Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta (1689-1741), a renowned Spanish naval officer who achieved fame for his defense of Cartagena de Indias (present-day Colombia) against the British in 1741. His victory in this battle is considered one of the greatest naval feats in Spanish history, and he is revered as a national hero in both Spain and Colombia.

Another notable bearer of the LEZO surname was Juan de Lezo y Pacheco (1577-1631), a Spanish military commander who served in the Thirty Years' War and played a pivotal role in the capture of the city of 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands in 1629.

In the 18th century, the LEZO surname was also borne by Francisco de Lezo y Navarro (1722-1793), a Spanish naval officer and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and contributed to the mapping of the coasts of South America and the Philippines.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the LEZO surname in the Americas can be found in the records of the Spanish colonial settlement of Havana, Cuba, where a certain Diego de Lezo is mentioned as a landowner and prominent citizen in the early 17th century.

While the LEZO surname is primarily associated with Spain and its former colonies, it has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to migration and intermarriage. However, the historical roots of the name can be traced back to the Basque region of northern Spain, where it originated as a reference to those who lived near or were associated with notable caves or grottos.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lezo

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

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

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

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