Explore the Family Name Leece

The meaning of Leece

1. English: from a medieval female personal name, Lece, a short form of Lettice (from Latin Laetitia, meaning ‘happiness, gaiety’). 2. English: variant of Lees. 3. Irish: shortened form of Gaelic Mac Giolla Íosa, Manx Mac Guilley Yeesey ‘son of Giolla Íosa (devotee or servant of Jesus)’. Ballaleece (‘Leece’s farm’) in Kirk German was the family’s main seat.

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

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

According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Leece saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Leece was ranked 42,217th in terms of popularity and had 484 individuals bearing this name. However, by 2010, the rank had fallen to 44,653rd with only 481 individuals carrying the surname, representing a change of -5.77% in ranking and a -0.62% drop in count. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased from 0.18 in 2000 to 0.16 in 2010, marking an 11.11% reduction.

20002010Change
Rank#42,217#44,653-5.77%
Count484481-0.62%
Proportion per 100k0.180.16-11.11%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Leece

Concerning the ethnic identity associated with the surname Leece, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of carriers identified as White, both in 2000 and 2010, with a minimal decrease from 94.42% to 93.97%. The representation of Asian/Pacific Islanders increased significantly during this period, soaring from 1.24% to 2.49%. Individuals identifying with two or more races reflected a slight increase from 1.24% to 1.25%, while those identifying as Hispanic decreased notably from 1.86% to 1.25%. There were no changes for Black identifiers or American Indian and Alaskan Natives as they remained at 0% throughout the decade.

20002010Change
White94.42%93.97%-0.48%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.24%2.49%100.81%
Two or More Races1.24%1.25%0.81%
Hispanic1.86%1.25%-32.8%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%