2000
#17,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,468
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.54
Rare Last name
Delima
A Portuguese surname referring to a lime or linden tree, or a person living near one.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,182 Americans carry the last name Delima. That puts it at #10,964 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 107,717 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Delima surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Delima with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 107,717
Census rank
#10,964
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,775 bearers of the surname Delima in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10964th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Delima, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (16.3%) and Hispanic (16.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Delima
The surname DELIMA has its origins in Portugal, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to be a toponymic name derived from the Portuguese town of Lima, located in the northern region of the country. The town's name is thought to have its roots in the Latin word "limae," meaning "mud banks" or "sludge," referring to the muddy banks of the Lima River that flows through the area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DELIMA surname can be found in the archives of the Monastery of Santa Cruz in Coimbra, Portugal, where a document from 1481 mentions a certain "João Delima" as a landowner in the region.
During the Age of Exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries, many Portuguese explorers and settlers spread across the world, taking their surnames with them. This could explain the presence of the DELIMA name in various Portuguese-influenced regions, such as Brazil, Goa, and parts of Africa.
A notable figure bearing the DELIMA surname was Gaspar de Lemos Delima (1524-1591), a Portuguese explorer and navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his historic voyage around the world. He was one of the few survivors of the expedition and played a crucial role in documenting the journey's events.
Another prominent individual was Father António Delima (1635-1701), a Jesuit priest and missionary who spent many years in Brazil, working to convert indigenous tribes to Christianity. He is credited with establishing several missions and settlements in the Brazilian interior.
In the 19th century, José Delima (1820-1892) was a prominent figure in the fight for Brazilian independence from Portugal. He served as a military commander and played a crucial role in several battles against the Portuguese forces.
Moving into the 20th century, Maria Delima (1902-1987) was a renowned Portuguese writer and poet, known for her works that explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition. Her poetry collections, such as "Canções do Outono" (Songs of Autumn), gained widespread acclaim and established her as a prominent voice in Portuguese literature.
Lastly, António Delima (1924-2001) was a celebrated Portuguese architect who left a lasting impact on the urban landscape of Lisbon and other cities. He was known for his innovative designs that blended traditional Portuguese elements with modern architectural styles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Delima
Among Census respondents with the surname Delima, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (16.3%) and Hispanic (16.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Delima bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Delima surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.6% · 1,516
- Asian and Pacific Islander16.3% · 453
- Hispanic or Latino16.1% · 448
- Two or more races6.8% · 188
- Black or African American5.6% · 155
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Delima
Delima appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,248
+780 bearers (+53.1%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Up 4,125 places
2020
#10,964
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,775
+527 bearers (+23.4%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 2,538 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,627 | 1,468 | 0.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,502 | 2,248 | 0.76 | +780 bearers (+53.1%) | Up 4,125 places |
| 2020 | #10,964 | 2,775 | 0.93 | +527 bearers (+23.4%) | Up 2,538 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Delima surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,502 | #10,964 | 18.8% |
| Count | 2,248 | 2,775 | 23.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.93 | 22.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Delima bearers went from 2,248 to 2,775 (+23.4% change). The surname moved up 2,538 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,502 to #10,964.
FAQ
Delima surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Delima?
Name Census estimates that about 3,182 living Americans carry the surname Delima. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 107,717 residents.
How common is Delima?
Delima ranks #10,964 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,775 people with the surname Delima. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,182), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Delima.
Has Delima become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Delima went from 2,248 recorded bearers to 2,775. That is an increase of 527 (+23.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,502 to #10,964.
What does the Census say about the background of Delima?
Among Census respondents with the surname Delima, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (16.3%) and Hispanic (16.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Delima in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.6% (1,516 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Delima appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (16.3%), Hispanic (16.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Delima (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Delima mean?
A Portuguese surname referring to a lime or linden tree, or a person living near one. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Delima (0.93 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Delima?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.