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

Leon Family History

Leon Name Meaning

Spanish (León): habitational name from León a city in northwestern Spain named with Latin legio genitive legionis ‘legion’ a division of the Roman army. In Roman times the city was the garrison of the 7th Legion known as the Legio Gemina. The city's name became shortened from Legion(em) to Leon(em) and in this form developed an unetymological association with the word for ‘lion’ (Spanish león). French (Léon) and Spanish (León): from the personal name Léon León from Latin leo ‘lion’ or the cognate Greek leōn. The name Leo(n) was borne by numerous early Christian martyrs and thirteen popes. Spanish (León): nickname for a fierce or brave warrior from león ‘lion’. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 梁 see Liang

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


Similar surnames: Lyon, Leo, Len, Leone, Lein, Lion, Leos, Lemon, Lew, Ley

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 Leon family from?

You can see how Leon families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Leon family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Leon families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 77 Leon families living in Quebec. This was about 30% of all the recorded Leon's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Leon families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Leon surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Leon ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Machiniste were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Leon. 21% of Leon men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Leon women worked as a Machiniste. Some less common occupations for Americans named Leon were Journalier and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Leon | 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
    21%
  • Labourer
    19%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Journalier
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Machiniste
    34%
  • Commis
    34%
  • Housekeeper
    34%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Leon family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 144,000 census records available for the last name Leon. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Leon census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Leon

Passenger Lists

There are 87,000 immigration records available for the last name Leon. 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 Leon immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 18,000 military records available for the last name Leon. For the veterans among your Leon ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Leon military records

You've only scratched the surface of Leon family history

Discover More

What is the average Leon lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Leon life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 1981. The average life expectancy for Leon in 1946 was 39, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Leon

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Leon family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Leon last name

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