2000
#68,172
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 270
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Lleras
A surname of Spanish origin, possibly derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 458 Americans carry the last name Lleras. That puts it at #55,517 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 748,372 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lleras 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
458
1 in 748,372
Census rank
#55,517
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
399
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 399 bearers of the surname Lleras in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 55517th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lleras, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.5%. The next largest groups are White (13.0%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lleras
The surname LLERAS has its origins in Spain, with the earliest records dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "llera," which refers to a flat area or plain, particularly one found near a river or stream. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with people who lived in such areas or perhaps worked as farmers or agriculturalists.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LLERAS surname can be found in a document from the year 1387, which mentions a certain Pedro Lleras residing in the town of Seville. Another notable early reference comes from the 15th century, where a Pedro de Lleras is mentioned in a registry of land ownership in the region of Aragon.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the LLERAS name began to spread across various parts of Spain, particularly in the regions of Catalonia and Andalusia. Several individuals bearing this surname are recorded in historical documents from this period, including Juan Lleras, a merchant from Valencia who was involved in trade with the Spanish colonies in the Americas during the late 16th century.
As the Spanish Empire expanded its reach across the Atlantic, the LLERAS name also found its way to the New World. One notable figure was Diego Lleras, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century. Another prominent individual was Francisca Lleras, a landowner in the region of Quito, present-day Ecuador, who was involved in a legal dispute over property rights in the late 17th century.
In the 19th century, the LLERAS name gained prominence in Colombia, particularly in the city of Bogotá. One of the most notable figures from this era was Alberto Lleras Camargo (1906-1990), a Colombian politician who served as the President of Colombia from 1945 to 1946 and again from 1958 to 1962. He played a significant role in the establishment of the National Front, a power-sharing agreement between the Liberal and Conservative parties in Colombia.
Another prominent individual with the LLERAS surname was Carlos Lleras Restrepo (1908-1994), a Colombian politician and statesman who served as the President of Colombia from 1966 to 1970. He was known for his efforts to promote economic development and social reforms during his presidency.
In more recent times, the LLERAS name has remained well-represented in various fields, including politics, business, and academia. For instance, Germán Lleras Camargo (1932-2023) was a Colombian lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs during the 1970s and played a crucial role in the peace negotiations between Colombia and neighboring countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lleras
Among Census respondents with the surname Lleras, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.5%. The next largest groups are White (13.0%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Lleras 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 Lleras surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino82.5% · 329
- White13.0% · 52
- Black or African American2.0% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 6
- Two or more races0.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lleras
Lleras 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
#60,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 336
+66 bearers (+24.4%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 8,127 places
2020
#55,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 399
+63 bearers (+18.8%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 4,528 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #68,172 | 270 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #60,045 | 336 | 0.11 | +66 bearers (+24.4%) | Up 8,127 places |
| 2020 | #55,517 | 399 | 0.13 | +63 bearers (+18.8%) | Up 4,528 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 Lleras 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 | #60,045 | #55,517 | 7.5% |
| Count | 336 | 399 | 18.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.13 | 21.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lleras bearers went from 336 to 399 (+18.8% change). The surname moved up 4,528 positions in the national ranking, going from #60,045 to #55,517.
FAQ
Lleras surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lleras?
Name Census estimates that about 458 living Americans carry the surname Lleras. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 748,372 residents.
How common is Lleras?
Lleras ranks #55,517 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 399 people with the surname Lleras. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (458), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Lleras.
Has Lleras become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lleras went from 336 recorded bearers to 399. That is an increase of 63 (+18.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #60,045 to #55,517.
What does the Census say about the background of Lleras?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lleras, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.5%. The next largest groups are White (13.0%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Lleras in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.5% (329 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lleras appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (82.5%), White (13.0%), Black (2.0%). 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 Lleras (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 Lleras mean?
A surname of Spanish origin, possibly derived from a place name. 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 Lleras (0.13 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 common is the surname Lleras?
Want to know how common the surname Lleras is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.