Leo Family History

Leo Surname 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 as 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.

French (Léo): variant of Léon (see Leon). German: Latinized (humanistic) form of Löwe (see Lowe).

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 廖 (see Liao) 梁 (see Liang) 劉 and 柳 (see Liu).

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

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

72K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
12K	Military Records
17K	Immigration Records
47K	Census and Voter Lists
32K	Member Trees

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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 1911 there were 69 Leo families living in British Columbia. This was about 31% of all the recorded Leo's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Leo families in 1911.

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.

View Census Data for Leo

What did your Leo ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Leo.

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.

Farmer

20%

Labourer

13%

Laborer

13%

Logger

10%

What Leo family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 47K 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 Canadian census records for Leo

Passenger List

There are 17K immigration records available for the last name Leo. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Leo immigration records

Military Records

There are 12K 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

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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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Leo family tree

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Leo Surname Meaning

French (Léo): variant of Léon (see Leon). German: Latinized (humanistic) form of Löwe (see Lowe).

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 廖 (see Liao) 梁 (see Liang) 劉 and 柳 (see Liu).

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

Where is the Leo family from?

What did your Leo ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named 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.

Farmer

20%

Labourer

13%

Laborer

13%

Logger

10%

What Leo family records will you find?

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.

Leo Family History

Leo Surname Meaning

182,000 record(s) for Leo

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

Where is the Leo family from?

What did your Leo ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

What Leo family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Leo family history

What is the average Leo lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Leo family tree

Search for another surname

Leo Surname Meaning

182,000 record(s) for Leo

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

Where is the Leo family from?

What did your Leo ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

What Leo family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Leo family history

What is the average Leo lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Leo family tree

Search for another surname