Find out how popular the last name Lam is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Lam.

Lam, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Lam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lam in America

Lam is the 611th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lam surname appeared 55,554 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 19 people would have the surname Lam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lam to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Lam

The surname Lam is believed to have originated in England, with its roots traced back to the Old English word "lamb," which means a young sheep or lamb. The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273 as "William le Lam."

In medieval times, surnames were often derived from occupations, personal characteristics, or places of origin. The surname Lam may have been initially given to someone who worked with lambs or sheep, or it could have been a descriptive name referring to someone who was considered gentle or meek, like a lamb.

The name Lam has also been found in various historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1199, where it appears as "Walterus Lambe." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

One notable historical figure with the surname Lam was John Lambe (c. 1450-1537), an English priest and theologian who served as the Dean of the Arches and Master of the Chancery. Another prominent individual was John Lambe (1628-1708), an English Presbyterian minister and author who wrote several religious works.

In Scotland, the surname Lam can be traced back to the 16th century, with records showing a John Lam in Perthshire in 1579. The name was also found in the Orkney Islands, where a Robert Lam was recorded in 1612.

The surname Lam has also been associated with place names, such as Lambeth in London, which was originally recorded as "Lam-hythe" in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, meaning "landing place for lambs."

Other notable individuals with the surname Lam include:

1. Walter Lamb (1825-1888), an English architect and designer, known for his work on the Holborn Viaduct in London.
2. Sir Horace Lam (1892-1973), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Hong Kong from 1947 to 1952.
3. Willy Lam (born 1952), a Hong Kong-based author and political commentator, known for his writings on Chinese politics and leadership.
4. David Lam (1923-2010), a Canadian businessman and philanthropist, who served as the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 1988 to 1995.
5. Stanley Lam (born 1975), a Hong Kong actor and singer, known for his roles in various television series and films.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lam

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Lam.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Lam was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Lam has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Lam was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lam, please contact us.

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