Explore the Family Name Leigh
The meaning of Leigh
1. English: habitational name from any of numerous places (in at least sixteen counties, but especially Leigh in Lancashire) named either with the nominative case of Old English lēah ‘woodland clearing’ (see Lee) or with lēage, a late dative form of this word (see Lye). 2. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 李, based on its Cantonese pronunciation. See Li 1.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Leigh in the United States?
The popularity of the surname Leigh, as evidenced by data from the Decennial U.S. Census, has experienced a slight decrease in rank from 3350 in 2000 to 3499 in 2010, marking a change of -4.45%. However, during the same period, the count of individuals with this surname increased by 4.68%, from 9756 to 10213. The proportion of people per 100k bearing the Leigh surname also saw a slight dip of -4.42%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,350 | #3,499 | -4.45% |
| Count | 9,756 | 10,213 | 4.68% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.62 | 3.46 | -4.42% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Leigh
Information from the Decennial U.S. Census shows shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the Leigh surname between 2000 and 2010. The most prevalent ethnicity being White, though it dropped slightly from 80.30% to 77.45%. There was a significant increase in the percentage of Leighs identifying as Hispanic, moving from 1.66% to 2.69%. Additionally, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander also rose from 1.88% to 2.41%, while American Indian and Alaskan Native witnessed an increase from 0.49% to 0.61%. The Black community showed a modest growth of 6.45%, going up from 13.80% to 14.69%. Lastly, those claiming two or more races rose from 1.88% to 2.15%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 80.3% | 77.45% | -3.55% |
| Black | 13.8% | 14.69% | 6.45% |
| Hispanic | 1.66% | 2.69% | 62.05% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.88% | 2.41% | 28.19% |
| Two or More Races | 1.88% | 2.15% | 14.36% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.49% | 0.61% | 24.49% |
Leigh 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 Leigh is British & Irish, which comprises 50.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.8%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (5.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Nigerian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.0% |
| French & German | 21.8% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 5.8% |
| Other | 22.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Leigh
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 Leigh have recent ancestry locations all within United Kingdom.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 81.50% |
What Leigh 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 Leigh is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Nash, Schafer, Kline, Jansen, West, Kohler, Weber, Hawkins, Miller, Harrison.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Leigh 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 Leigh 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.
"Leigh" Surname 48.2%
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.
"Leigh" Surname 30.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Leigh" Surname 22.3%
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.
"Leigh" Surname 21.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Leigh?
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 Leigh are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition