History of your Surname
Get access to Leo family records.Start a free trial

Leo Family History

Leo Name Meaning

Italian (southern): nickname for a fierce or brave warrior from Latin leo ‘lion’. Italian: from a short form of the personal name Pantaleo . Jewish: from the personal name Leo (from Latin leo ‘lion’) borrowed from Christians as an equivalent of Hebrew Yehuda (see Leib ). English: from the Old French personal name Leon ‘lion’ (see Lyon ). Spanish: from a variant of the personal name León (see Leon ). Dutch: from Latin leo ‘lion’ applied either a nickname for a strong or fearless man or a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by the sign of a lion; or alternatively from a personal name of the same derivation.7: French (Léo): variant of Léon (see Leon ).8: German: Latinized (humanistic) form of Löwe (see Lowe ).9: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 廖 (see Liao ) 梁 (see Liang ) 劉 and 柳 (see Liu 1-2).

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


Similar surnames: Leon, Lew, Lio, Ley, Leu, Lee, Feo, Leos, Len, Loo

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Leo family from?

You can see how Leo families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Leo family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Leo families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 119 Leo families living in London. This was about 30% of all the recorded Leo's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Leo families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Leo surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Leo ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Leo. 74% of Leo women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. .

View Census Data for Leo | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • House Keeper
    5%
  • Housekeeper
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Leo family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 47,000 census records available for the last name Leo. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Leo census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Leo

Passenger Lists

There are 17,000 immigration records available for the last name Leo. 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 Leo immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Leo. For the veterans among your Leo ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Leo military records

You've only scratched the surface of Leo family history

Discover More

What is the average Leo lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Leo life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Leo in 1944 was 45, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Leo

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Leo family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Leo last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial