Explore the Family Name Leclair
The meaning of Leclair
1. French: nickname for a cheerful individual, a variant of Clair 2 ‘bright, light’, with fused masculine definite article le. Derivation from the male personal name Clair 1 is also possible. Compare Laclair, Laclaire, and Leclear. 2. French: altered form of Leclerc 1. 3. Altered form of French Petitclerc (see Leclerc 4). Some characteristic forenames: French Marcel, Andre, Armand, Emile, Normand, Gaston, Adrien, Antoine, Lucien, Monique, Philias, Camille.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Leclair in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Leclair has seen a slight decrease in rank from 4196 in 2000 to 4351 in 2010, a change of -3.69%. However, this dip in rank is contrasted by an increase in count, or the total number of people with the Leclair surname, which rose from 7836 in 2000 to 8162 in 2010. This equates to an increase of 4.16%. Despite this rise in the overall count, the proportion of individuals named Leclair per 100k people decreased by 4.48%, from 2.9 in 2000 to 2.77 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,196 | #4,351 | -3.69% |
| Count | 7,836 | 8,162 | 4.16% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.9 | 2.77 | -4.48% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Leclair
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Leclair has also seen some significant changes between 2000 and 2010 as per the data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of Leclairs identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 31.11%, while those identifying as two or more races increased by 34.78%. There was also a notable increase of 52.29% in the Hispanic Leclair population and an impressive 82.93% increase among Black Leclairs. Conversely, the percentage of White Leclairs fell slightly by 1.90%. Additionally, the proportion of Leclairs who identify as American Indian and Alaskan Native dipped by 2.16%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.22% | 91.45% | -1.9% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.78% | 2.72% | -2.16% |
| Hispanic | 1.53% | 2.33% | 52.29% |
| Two or More Races | 1.61% | 2.17% | 34.78% |
| Black | 0.41% | 0.75% | 82.93% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 0.59% | 31.11% |
Leclair ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Leclair is British & Irish, which comprises 44.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (27.8%) and Italian (5.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, Indigenous American, and Chinese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 44.5% |
| French & German | 27.8% |
| Italian | 5.9% |
| Other | 21.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Leclair
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Leclair have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 77.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 77.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 76.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 76.90% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 76.40% |
What Leclair haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Leclair is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L2 and I-Z58, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Negron, Starnes, Catlett, Armstrong, Marty, Putnam, Saylor, Murdock, Ryan, Chamberlain.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Leclair surname are: H1, U2_3_4_7_8_9, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Leclair have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Leclair" Surname 37.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Leclair" Surname 25.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Leclair" Surname 20.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Leclair" Surname 17.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Leclair?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Leclair are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition