Explore the Family Name Lees
The meaning of Lees
1. English and Scottish: topographic name from Middle English lees ‘fields, arable land’, plural of lee (see Lee), or from Middle English lese ‘pasture, meadow’ (Old English lǣs). 2. English: habitational name from Leece or Lees in Lancashire, or Leese in Cheshire, all named from Old English lēas ‘woodland clearings’ (plural of lēah), or from Leece in Cumbria, which was probably named with a Celtic word, lïss ‘hall, court, the principal house in a district’. 3. English: variant of Leece 1. 4. Scottish: shortened form of Gillies. 5. Scottish and Irish: shortened and altered form of McLeish. 6. Dutch: variant of Leys.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lees in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Lees has seen a slight dip in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010. Ranked at 5763 in 2000, it fell to 6214 by 2010 representing a change of -7.83%. However, the actual count of people with this surname remained nearly the same with 5501 individuals in 2000 and 5502 in 2010. The proportion per 100k people also decreased from 2.04 to 1.87, marking an -8.33% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,763 | #6,214 | -7.83% |
| Count | 5,501 | 5,502 | 0.02% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.04 | 1.87 | -8.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lees
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Lees has seen some changes as well, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The proportion of those who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black decreased by 40.00% and 49.61% respectively. Individuals identifying as White saw a marginal increase from 94.36% to 94.77%. The most notable changes were experienced by those who identify as Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native, both seeing significant increases of 50.34% and 41.51% respectively. The proportion of people identifying as two or more races decreased slightly by 20.56%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.36% | 94.77% | 0.43% |
| Hispanic | 1.49% | 2.24% | 50.34% |
| Two or More Races | 1.07% | 0.85% | -20.56% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.25% | 0.75% | -40% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.53% | 0.75% | 41.51% |
| Black | 1.29% | 0.65% | -49.61% |
Lees 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 Lees is British & Irish, which comprises 60.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.4%) and Eastern European (5.0%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 60.2% |
| French & German | 18.4% |
| Eastern European | 5.0% |
| Other | 16.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Lees
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 Lees have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
What Lees 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 Lees 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-CTS241 and R-P312, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Murrell, Keyes, Powell, Hills, Crooks, O'Neal, Hewitt, Sanderson, Simons, Anders.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lees surname are: H1, T2b, 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 Lees 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.
"Lees" Surname 50.9%
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.
"Lees" Surname 25.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lees" Surname 23.6%
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.
"Lees" Surname 15.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lees?
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 Lees are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition