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Leonard Family History

Leonard Surname Meaning

English; French (Léonard); Walloon (mainly Léonard): from a personal name composed of the ancient Germanic elements leo ‘lion’ (a late addition to the vocabulary of ancient Germanic name elements taken from Latin) + hard ‘hardy brave strong’ which was taken to England by the Normans. A Christian saint of this name who is supposed to have lived in the 6th century but about whom nothing is known except for a largely fictional life dating from half a millennium later was popular throughout Europe in the early Middle Ages and was regarded as the patron of peasants and horses. In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages e.g. Italian Leonardo Polish Slovenian etc. Lenart or Lenard and probably also their derivatives. Compare Larned Learned and Yenor . Irish (Fermanagh): adopted as an English equivalent of Gaelic Mac Giolla Fhionáin or of Langan . German: variant of Leonhard cognate with 1 above.

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


Similar surnames: Leonardo, Leopard, Reynard, Bernard, Conard, Leonhardt, Leonardi

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Where is the Leonard family from?

You can see how Leonard families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Leonard family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Leonard families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 350 Leonard families living in New York. This was about 22% of all the recorded Leonard's in USA. New York had the highest population of Leonard families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Leonard surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Leonard ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Leonard. 14% of Leonard men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Leonard women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Leonard were Truck Driver and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Leonard | 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 1940

  • Laborer
    14%
  • Farmer
    11%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    7%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Stenographer
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Leonard family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 666,000 census records available for the last name Leonard. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Leonard census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 76,000 immigration records available for the last name Leonard. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 126,000 military records available for the last name Leonard. For the veterans among your Leonard ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Leonard lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Leonard life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Leonard in 1942 was 42, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Leonard

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