2000
#3,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,297
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.08
Rare Last name
Leighton
An Old English habitational name from various places named with Old English leah meaning "woodland clearing" and tun meaning "enclosure."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,022 Americans carry the last name Leighton. That puts it at #4,356 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,991 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leighton 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 Leighton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.0K
1 in 37,991
Census rank
#4,356
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,868 bearers of the surname Leighton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4356th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leighton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leighton
The surname Leighton has its origins in England, tracing back to the 11th century. It is a locational surname derived from various places named "Leighton" or "Leyghton" throughout the country. The name itself originates from the Old English words "leac" meaning "meadow" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "town."
During the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, many Norman-French nobles were granted lands across the country, including areas now known as Leighton. The surname likely emerged as a way to identify individuals from these locations. Early records show variations in spelling, such as Leyton, Leiton, and Leton.
One of the earliest documented references to the surname Leighton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book mentions individuals with the surname Leighton holding lands in various counties, including Shropshire and Huntingdonshire.
In the 13th century, records show a Sir William Leighton of Stretton in Shropshire, who was a prominent figure in the area. Another notable early bearer of the name was Sir Edward Leighton, a member of the English Parliament in 1332.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Leighton family gained prominence in Shropshire, with several members holding positions of influence. One notable figure was Sir Edward Leighton (1565-1622), a member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Shropshire.
In the realm of literature, the surname is associated with Robert Leighton (1611-1684), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and Archbishop of Glasgow, known for his influential writings on Christian theology and spirituality.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sir William Leighton (1604-1672), an English politician and landowner who served as a member of the Long Parliament during the English Civil War.
The surname Leighton has also been carried by notable figures in more recent history, such as Frederic Leighton (1830-1896), a renowned English painter and President of the Royal Academy, and Sir Ralph Leighton (1886-1962), a British soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and received the Victoria Cross for his bravery during World War I.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leighton
Among Census respondents with the surname Leighton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Leighton 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 Leighton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 6,988
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 303
- Two or more races3.8% · 299
- Black or African American1.7% · 133
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 76
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 69
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leighton
Leighton 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
#4,222
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,399
+102 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 2.85
Rank movement Down 289 places
2020
#4,356
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,868
-531 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 2.63
Rank movement Down 134 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,933 | 8,297 | 3.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,222 | 8,399 | 2.85 | +102 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 289 places |
| 2020 | #4,356 | 7,868 | 2.63 | -531 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 134 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 Leighton 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 | #4,222 | #4,356 | -3.2% |
| Count | 8,399 | 7,868 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.85 | 2.63 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leighton bearers went from 8,399 to 7,868 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 134 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,222 to #4,356.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Leighton
FAQ
Leighton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leighton?
Name Census estimates that about 9,022 living Americans carry the surname Leighton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,991 residents.
How common is Leighton?
Leighton ranks #4,356 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,868 people with the surname Leighton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,022), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Leighton.
Has Leighton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leighton went from 8,399 recorded bearers to 7,868. That is a decrease of 531 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,222 to #4,356.
What does the Census say about the background of Leighton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leighton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Leighton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (6,988 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leighton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Leighton (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 Leighton mean?
An Old English habitational name from various places named with Old English leah meaning "woodland clearing" and tun meaning "enclosure." 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 Leighton (2.63 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 Americans have the surname Leighton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.