Explore the Family Name Leao

The meaning of Leao

Portuguese (Leão): nickname from leão ‘lion’, applied to somebody fierce or brave.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Leao in the United States?

The surname Leao has seen a marked increase in popularity over the years, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it was ranked 73,412th in terms of prevalence but jumped significantly to 48,256th in 2010. This represents a positive change of 34.27%. The total count of individuals with this surname also increased substantially during this period, from 246 in 2000 to 438 in 2010, marking a 78.05% rise. Proportionately, this name grew from representing 0.09 out of every 100,000 people in 2000 to 0.15 out of every 100,000 in 2010, a 66.67% increase.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#73,412	#48,256	34.27%
Count	246	438	78.05%
Proportion per 100k	0.09	0.15	66.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Leao

In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts between 2000 and 2010. Asians/Pacific Islanders bearing the surname Leao decreased slightly by 4.88%, making up 23.97% of the Leaos in 2010 as compared to 25.20% in 2000. Those identifying as two or more races experienced a significant drop, from 13.41% to 7.31%, a 45.49% decrease. Meanwhile, the percentage of Whites among the Leaos rose by 19.93%, constituting 57.53% in 2010 as opposed to 47.97% in 2000. Hispanics witnessed a notable decrease, dropping by 41.90% from 11.79% in 2000 to 6.85% in 2010. No changes were reported for Blacks and American Indians/Alaskan Natives, with both groups maintaining a 0% representation in both years.

	2000	2010	Change
White	47.97%	57.53%	19.93%
Asian/Pacific Islander	25.2%	23.97%	-4.88%
Two or More Races	13.41%	7.31%	-45.49%
Hispanic	11.79%	6.85%	-41.9%
Black	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%