2000
#767
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 40,923
First available Census row
Per 100,000 15.17
Uncommon Last name
Leblanc
A French topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a white poplar tree or on a chalky white soil.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 47,437 Americans carry the last name Leblanc. That puts it at #813 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 13.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,225 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leblanc 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 Leblanc with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
47K
1 in 7,225
Census rank
#813
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
13.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
41K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 41,367 bearers of the surname Leblanc in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 13.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 813th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leblanc, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leblanc
The surname "LEBLANC" originated in France during the Middle Ages. It was derived from the Old French phrase "le blanc," which means "the white one." This nickname likely referred to someone with fair hair or a pale complexion.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval records and documents from the 12th and 13th centuries. For example, a "Guillaume le Blanc" is mentioned in a 1198 charter from Normandy, while a "Petrus le Blanc" appears in a 1240 tax roll from Anjou.
As the name spread throughout France, regional variations in spelling emerged, such as "Leblanc," "Le Blanc," and "Leblanque." These variations were often influenced by local dialects and pronunciation patterns.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals bore the surname "LEBLANC." One of the earliest was Guillaume le Blanc, a 13th-century French poet and trouvère from Arras. Another was Nicolas le Blanc, a 16th-century French explorer and navigator who was among the first Europeans to document the coastline of Australia.
In the 17th century, François le Blanc (1623-1698) was a French traveler and author who wrote extensively about his journeys through the Middle East and Asia. His work, "Relation de ce qui s'est passé de plus remarquable à Ispahan en Perse," provided valuable insights into the culture and customs of the Persian Empire.
During the 18th century, Jean-Bernard le Blanc (1707-1781) was a French sculptor and architect who worked on several notable projects, including the renovation of the Palace of Versailles and the construction of the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris.
In the 19th century, Charles le Blanc (1817-1882) was a French historian and art critic who authored numerous works on the history of engraving and etching, including "Manuel de l'Amateur d'Estampes" and "Histoire des Peintres de Toutes les Écoles."
Throughout its long history, the surname "LEBLANC" has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, explorers, and scholars, reflecting the diverse contributions of those with this name to the cultural and intellectual heritage of France and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leblanc
Among Census respondents with the surname Leblanc, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Leblanc 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 Leblanc surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.0% · 34,336
- Black or African American8.6% · 3,542
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 1,644
- Two or more races3.2% · 1,312
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 274
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 259
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leblanc
Leblanc 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
#815
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 42,575
+1,652 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 14.43
Rank movement Down 48 places
2020
#813
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 41,367
-1,208 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 13.84
Rank movement Up 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #767 | 40,923 | 15.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #815 | 42,575 | 14.43 | +1,652 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 48 places |
| 2020 | #813 | 41,367 | 13.84 | -1,208 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 2 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 Leblanc 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 | #815 | #813 | 0.2% |
| Count | 42,575 | 41,367 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 14.43 | 13.84 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leblanc bearers went from 42,575 to 41,367 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #815 to #813.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Leblanc
FAQ
Leblanc surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leblanc?
Name Census estimates that about 47,437 living Americans carry the surname Leblanc. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,225 residents.
How common is Leblanc?
Leblanc ranks #813 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 13.84 per 100,000 residents, which is about 14 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 41,367 people with the surname Leblanc. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (47,437), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 13.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 13.84 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 14 of them to have the surname Leblanc.
Has Leblanc become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leblanc went from 42,575 recorded bearers to 41,367. That is a decrease of 1,208 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #815 to #813.
What does the Census say about the background of Leblanc?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leblanc, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Leblanc in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.0% (34,336 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leblanc appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.0%), Black (8.6%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Leblanc (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 Leblanc mean?
A French topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a white poplar tree or on a chalky white soil. 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 Leblanc (13.84 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 Leblanc?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Leblanc is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.