Explore the Family Name Lesko
The meaning of Lesko
1. Czech and Slovak (Leško): from a pet form of the personal name Aleš (see Ales 2). 2. Polish (Leśko): from a variant of the personal name Leszko, a pet form of Lech. In North America, this surname may also be an altered form of the variant Leszko, which is also Rusyn (Lemko) name; compare Leshko. 3. Hungarian (Leskó): probably from an old Hungarian personal name Leskó, derived from the Ugric word les ‘look’ or ‘peek’. Alternatively, in some cases, a surname of Slovak origin (see 1 above). 4. Croatian (Leško): from a pet form of the personal name Aleksandar (see Alexander). 5. Croatian: unexplained.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lesko in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Lesko has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 8284 in popularity and by 2010, it had dropped to rank 9212, representing an 11.2% decline. The count of individuals with the Lesko surname also decreased from 3677 in 2000 to 3537 in 2010, a decrease of 3.81%. The proportion per 100k people also decreased by 11.76%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,284 | #9,212 | -11.2% |
| Count | 3,677 | 3,537 | -3.81% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.36 | 1.2 | -11.76% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lesko
When examining the ethnicity of individuals with the surname Lesko, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority identifies as White. In 2000, 97.42% identified as White, decreasing slightly to 96.58% in 2010. Those identifying as Hispanic saw the most significant increase, from 1.25% in 2000 to 2.04% in 2010, representing a 63.20% change. Individuals identifying as two or more races also increased slightly from 0.76% to 0.79%. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander in 2000 was 0.33%, but the data was suppressed for 2010. There was also a small percentage (0.28%) identifying as Black in 2010, a category which had been suppressed in 2000. No individuals identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.42% | 96.58% | -0.86% |
| Hispanic | 1.25% | 2.04% | 63.2% |
| Two or More Races | 0.76% | 0.79% | 3.95% |
| Black | 0% | 0.28% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.33% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Lesko 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 Lesko is Eastern European, which comprises 32.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (26.9%) and French & German (17.5%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Greek & Balkan, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Eastern European | 32.0% |
| British & Irish | 26.9% |
| French & German | 17.5% |
| Other | 23.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Lesko
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 Lesko have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Poland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 57.50% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 57.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 57.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 56.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 56.60% |
What Lesko 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 Lesko is R-P312, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P312 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L48 and R-CTS3402, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hinz, Sabo, Grabowski, Papp, Varga, Kiss, Popov, Ivanov, Bock, Guenther.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lesko surname are: H1, H5_36, 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 Lesko 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.
"Lesko" Surname 40.5%
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.
"Lesko" Surname 22.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lesko" Surname 17.6%
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.
"Lesko" Surname 12.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lesko?
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 Lesko are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition