2000
#10,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,933
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.09
Rare Last name
Lieu
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a prominent place, such as a wood or clearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,391 Americans carry the last name Lieu. That puts it at #8,282 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,058 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lieu 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lieu with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 78,058
Census rank
#8,282
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,829 bearers of the surname Lieu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8282nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lieu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lieu
The surname LIEU is of French origin, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "lieu," meaning "place" or "location." The name was likely given to someone who lived in a particular place or was associated with a specific location.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname LIEU can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in various regions of France, such as Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France. During this period, surnames were becoming more common as a way to distinguish individuals and families.
In the Domesday Book, a medieval census conducted in England in 1086, there are no direct references to the surname LIEU. However, the book does mention several place names that may have been the origins of the surname, such as Lieuvin in Normandy.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname LIEU was Jean de Lieu, a French nobleman who lived in the 14th century. He was recorded as owning land in the Champagne region of France.
Another notable figure with the surname LIEU was Pierre de Lieu, a French merchant and explorer who lived in the 15th century. He is known for his travels to West Africa and his accounts of the region.
In the 16th century, Nicolas de Lieu was a French Huguenot (Protestant) who fled religious persecution and settled in England. He is considered one of the earliest LIEU family members to emigrate from France.
During the 17th century, Jacques de Lieu was a French military officer who served under King Louis XIV. He is known for his participation in the Franco-Dutch War and the Nine Years' War.
In the 18th century, Marie-Anne de Lieu was a French novelist and playwright. She was born in 1737 and is known for her works exploring themes of love and courtship in French society.
Over time, the surname LIEU has evolved and taken on various spellings, such as Lieux, Lelieu, and Delieu. These variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or scribal errors in historical records.
While the surname LIEU has its origins in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, the earliest recorded examples and historical references remain rooted in the French heritage and language of the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lieu
Among Census respondents with the surname Lieu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lieu 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 Lieu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.6% · 3,584
- Two or more races2.6% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 72
- White1.7% · 64
- Black or African American0.2% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lieu
Lieu 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
#9,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,612
+679 bearers (+23.2%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Up 1,069 places
2020
#8,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,829
+217 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Up 763 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,114 | 2,933 | 1.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,045 | 3,612 | 1.22 | +679 bearers (+23.2%) | Up 1,069 places |
| 2020 | #8,282 | 3,829 | 1.28 | +217 bearers (+6.0%) | Up 763 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 Lieu 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 | #9,045 | #8,282 | 8.4% |
| Count | 3,612 | 3,829 | 6.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.22 | 1.28 | 5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lieu bearers went from 3,612 to 3,829 (+6.0% change). The surname moved up 763 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,045 to #8,282.
FAQ
Lieu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lieu?
Name Census estimates that about 4,391 living Americans carry the surname Lieu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,058 residents.
How common is Lieu?
Lieu ranks #8,282 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,829 people with the surname Lieu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,391), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lieu.
Has Lieu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lieu went from 3,612 recorded bearers to 3,829. That is an increase of 217 (+6.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,045 to #8,282.
What does the Census say about the background of Lieu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lieu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lieu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (3,584 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lieu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Lieu (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 Lieu mean?
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a prominent place, such as a wood or clearing. 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 Lieu (1.28 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 are called Lieu?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Lieu at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.