Leos
Leos is likely a Hispanic surname that may have started as a nickname or a shortened form, though the exact origin is not certain from the available evidence.
The #5,861 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 52,436 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The historical excerpt does not give a clear derivation for Leos, so the surname’s origin has to be treated cautiously. In modern use it is most plausibly a Hispanic surname, and it may reflect a shortened or altered form of an older personal name or nickname. A possible remote link to Greek leon (“lion”) is sometimes suggested for similar names, but that is not securely established here.
History
The available nineteenth-century citation appears to be only an incidental mention, not a full etymological entry, so it does not establish a firm historical explanation. In the United States today, Leos is best understood as a surname with Hispanic usage and relatively modest frequency. Because the documentary evidence here is thin, any deeper history should be treated as provisional.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Leos is uncommon in the U.S. but still well established enough to appear in the 2010 Census.
From the historical record
“Rec. L'siv. Oif. vol ii. p(. ii. p. gi, leoS. Rowland WealwDod, Legdon : ibid. p. tog. 1746. Uarried-Johe WeMwood aod EUi. Edward! : St. Geo. Cbap. UaT^r, p. 78.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances