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Leal Family History

Leal Surname Meaning

English, Spanish, and Portuguese: nickname for a loyal or trustworthy person from Old French leial.

Spanish and Portuguese leal means ‘loyal, faithful (to obligations)’.

Latin legalis comes from lex meaning ‘law, obligation’ (genitive legis).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Leal family from?

You can see how Leal families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Leal family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Leal families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 138 Leal families living in Hampshire. This was about 22% of all the recorded Leal's in United Kingdom. Hampshire had the highest population of Leal families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Leal surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Leal ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Leal. 27% of Leal men worked as a General Labourer and 78% of Leal women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Leal were Gardener and Old Age Pensioner.

View Census Data for Leal | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    27%
  • Carpenter joiner
    20%
  • Jobbing Gardener
    14%
  • Gardener
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    78%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Old Age Pensioner
    3%

What Leal family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 41,000 census records available for the last name Leal. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Leal census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Leal

Passenger Lists

There are 21,000 immigration records available for the last name Leal. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Leal immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Leal. For the veterans among your Leal ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Leal military records

You've only scratched the surface of Leal family history

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What is the average Leal lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Leal life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1965. The average life expectancy for Leal in 1942 was 61, and 67 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Leal

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Leal ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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