Lemmon
A diminutive form of the name Lemuel, derived from Hebrew meaning "dedicated to God".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Lemmon. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lemmon today is around 71 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lemmon births was 1944 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lemmon. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Lemmon is about 71 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Lemmons were born before 1965.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lemmon. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1944
5 babies that year
Average age
71
years old
1944 SSA rank
#3,706
Tracked since 1944
Popularity
Lemmon: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Lemmon by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Lemmon during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Lemmon
The given name Lemmon has its roots in Old English, deriving from the word "lemon," which was borrowed from the Old French "limon." This word ultimately traces its origins back to the Arabic "laimun," which referred to the citrus fruit. The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages in England, possibly as a nickname for someone with a sour or tart demeanor, akin to the taste of a lemon.
In ancient times, the lemon held symbolic significance in various cultures, representing fertility, purification, and spiritual enlightenment. However, there are no definitive historical references to the name Lemmon itself appearing in ancient texts or religious scriptures.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Lemmon can be found in English parish records dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable bearer of this name was Sir Lemmon Munson (1560-1628), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I.
Throughout history, several individuals with the first name Lemmon have achieved notable recognition. One such figure was Lemmon Blanchard (1610-1674), an English philosopher and author known for his treatises on natural philosophy and metaphysics.
In the 18th century, Lemmon Witherspoon (1723-1794) was a prominent Scottish-American Presbyterian minister and one of the founding fathers of the United States, serving as a signatory to the Declaration of Independence.
Moving into the 19th century, Lemmon Trask (1824-1901) was an American industrialist and entrepreneur who played a pivotal role in the development of the textile industry in New England.
Another distinguished bearer of the name was Lemmon Hawthorne (1862-1932), an American novelist and short story writer, renowned for his works exploring themes of morality and human nature, such as "The Scarlet Letter" and "The House of the Seven Gables."
While the name Lemmon may not be as common today as it once was, its historical roots and associations with notable figures from various fields have left an indelible mark on the cultural tapestry of the English-speaking world.
People
Lemmon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lemmon as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lemmon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lemmon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lemmon going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Lemmon a common name?
We classify Lemmon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lemmon most popular?
The single biggest year for Lemmon was 1944, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lemmon is about 71 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Lemmon in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lemmon a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lemmon in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Lemmon still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lemmon in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Lemmon can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Lemmon?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.