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Leo Family History

Leo Name Meaning

Southern Italian: 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 3). English: from the Old French personal name Leon ‘lion’ (see Lyon 2). Spanish: variant or derivative of the personal name Leon. Dutch: from Latin leo ‘lion’, applied either a nickname for a strong or fearless man or a habitational name for someone living at a house distinguished by the sign of a lion; or alternatively from a personal name of the same derivation. German and Hungarian (Leó): Latinized form of Löwe (see Loewe).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


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

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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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 the 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.
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What did your Leo ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the CA named Leo. 20% of Leo men worked as a Farmer.

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 Male Occupations in 1921

  • Farmer
    20%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Labourer
    13%
  • Laundry
    10%
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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 Canadian 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 Canada, 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.

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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.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Leo

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