2000
#368
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 77,453
First available Census row
Per 100,000 28.71
Common Last name
Le
A French surname derived from the definite article "le", indicating a specific place, person, or characteristic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 158,858 Americans carry the last name Le. That puts it at #200 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 46.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,158 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Le 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 Le with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
159K
1 in 2,158
Census rank
#200
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
46.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
139K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 138,532 bearers of the surname Le in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 46.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 200th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Le, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and White (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Le
The surname "Le" is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "le", which means "the". It is believed to have originated as a nickname or descriptive name during the Middle Ages, sometime between the 11th and 13th centuries.
This surname was commonly found in various regions of France, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country. It is thought to have been used as a distinguishing name for individuals who lived near a prominent landmark or feature, such as a hill, river, or forest.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Le" can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document contains references to individuals with the surname "Le", suggesting that the name had already gained recognition by that time.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the surname "Le" was Robert le Bougre, a French knight who participated in the Seventh Crusade. He was born around 1215 and is mentioned in several historical accounts of the crusade.
Another prominent individual with the surname "Le" was Philippe le Hardi, better known as Philip the Bold, who was the Duke of Burgundy from 1363 to 1404. He played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War and was known for his military prowess and political acumen.
During the Renaissance period, a French philosopher and writer named Étienne de La Boétie, born in 1530, gained recognition for his influential work "Discourse on Voluntary Servitude". He was a close friend of the famous essayist Michel de Montaigne.
In the 17th century, a French painter named Claude Le Lorrain, born in 1600, became renowned for his landscape paintings, which significantly influenced the development of the Baroque style in art.
Another notable figure with the surname "Le" was François Le Vau, a French architect born in 1612. He was a prominent figure in the French Baroque architectural movement and designed several important buildings, including the East Wing of the Louvre Palace in Paris.
As the surname "Le" spread throughout France and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations and place-name associations, reflecting the diverse regions where it was adopted. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the Old French word "le", signifying a descriptive or locational identifier.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Le
Among Census respondents with the surname Le, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and White (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Le 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 Le surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.0% · 131,644
- Two or more races2.1% · 2,966
- White1.7% · 2,321
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1,201
- Black or African American0.3% · 364
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Le
Le 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
#277
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110,967
+33,514 bearers (+43.3%)
Per 100,000 37.62
Rank movement Up 91 places
2020
#200
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138,532
+27,565 bearers (+24.8%)
Per 100,000 46.35
Rank movement Up 77 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #368 | 77,453 | 28.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #277 | 110,967 | 37.62 | +33,514 bearers (+43.3%) | Up 91 places |
| 2020 | #200 | 138,532 | 46.35 | +27,565 bearers (+24.8%) | Up 77 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 Le 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 | #277 | #200 | 27.8% |
| Count | 110,967 | 138,532 | 24.8% |
| Per 100K | 37.62 | 46.35 | 23.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Le bearers went from 110,967 to 138,532 (+24.8% change). The surname moved up 77 positions in the national ranking, going from #277 to #200.
FAQ
Le surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Le?
Name Census estimates that about 158,858 living Americans carry the surname Le. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,158 residents.
How common is Le?
Le ranks #200 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 46.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 46 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 138,532 people with the surname Le. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (158,858), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 46.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 46.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 46 of them to have the surname Le.
Has Le become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Le went from 110,967 recorded bearers to 138,532. That is an increase of 27,565 (+24.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #277 to #200.
What does the Census say about the background of Le?
Among Census respondents with the surname Le, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and White (1.7%). 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 Le in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (131,644 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Le appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.0%), Two or More Races (2.1%), White (1.7%). 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 Le (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 Le mean?
A French surname derived from the definite article "le", indicating a specific place, person, or characteristic. 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 Le (46.35 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 Le?
Want to know how many people have the last name Le? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.