Explore the Family Name Leslie
The meaning of Leslie
1. Scottish: habitational name from a barony in Aberdeenshire, which is first recorded c.1180 in the form Lesslyn, of obscure origin. Leslie in Fife is said to be named for this place; in some cases the surname may come from there. 2. English: from the Middle English female personal name Lecelin, a double diminutive of Lece. See Leece and Lesley. History: The Scottish Clan Leslie claims descent from Bartolf, a Hungarian nobleman who came to Scotland in 1068 or 1070 in the retinue of Queen Margaret. She was an English princess who had been born and brought up in Hungary and who went on to marry King Malcolm III of Scotland. Members of the clan have held several titles in the peerage of Scotland, including Earl of Rothes (from 1437).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Leslie in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Leslie" experienced a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 1,335 and dropped to 1,417 in 2010, marking a decrease of 6.14%. However, the count of people with the Leslie surname increased from 24,266 in 2000 to 25,078 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 people declined by 5.56% from 9.0 to 8.5, reflecting an overall decrease in its usage.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,335 | #1,417 | -6.14% |
| Count | 24,266 | 25,078 | 3.35% |
| Proportion per 100k | 9 | 8.5 | -5.56% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Leslie
The same census information also reveals shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the Leslie surname. The percentage of individuals identifying as Hispanic saw the most significant growth (65.78%) from 1.87% in 2000 to 3.10% in 2010. There were also increases in the Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.87% to 1.13%), Black (from 18.01% to 19.47%), American Indian and Alaskan Native (from 1.15% to 1.28%), and those claiming two or more races (from 2.16% to 2.38%). Meanwhile, the percentage identifying as White decreased by 4.35%, from 75.94% in 2000 to 72.64% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 75.94% | 72.64% | -4.35% |
| Black | 18.01% | 19.47% | 8.11% |
| Hispanic | 1.87% | 3.1% | 65.78% |
| Two or More Races | 2.16% | 2.38% | 10.19% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.15% | 1.28% | 11.3% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.87% | 1.13% | 29.89% |
Leslie 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 Leslie is British & Irish, which comprises 50.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.4%) and Eastern European (4.7%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, Nigerian, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.8% |
| French & German | 21.4% |
| Eastern European | 4.7% |
| Other | 23.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Leslie
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 Leslie have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 81.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 81.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.10% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 80.90% |
What Leslie 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 Leslie is R-A16, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-A16 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-CTS1843, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Black, Robertson, Smith, Christie, Robinson, White, Thompson, Arnold, Taylor, Clarke.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Leslie 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 Leslie 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.
"Leslie" Surname 41.6%
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.
"Leslie" Surname 28.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Leslie" Surname 24.0%
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.
"Leslie" Surname 19.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Leslie?
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 Leslie are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition