2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lamach
A surname possibly derived from the biblical name Lamech or a variant spelling.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Lamach. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lamach 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.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Lamach in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lamach, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lamach
The surname LAMACH is believed to have originated in the region of Silesia, which is now part of modern-day Poland and the Czech Republic. The name dates back to the 13th century and is thought to be derived from the Old German word "lahha," meaning a stream or small river.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name LAMACH can be found in the "Liber Fundationis Claustri Sanctae Mariae Virginis in Heinrichau," a 13th-century manuscript that chronicles the history of the Cistercian monastery in Heinrichau (now Henryków, Poland). The document mentions a certain "Theodoricus Lamach" who was a benefactor of the monastery.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various records and documents across Silesia, often in connection with landowners or noblemen. For instance, a "Johannes Lamach" is mentioned in a 1372 deed from the town of Brieg (now Brzeg, Poland), where he is listed as a witness to a land transaction.
One notable figure with the surname LAMACH was Jan Lamach, a 15th-century merchant and burgher of Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland). He was a prominent member of the city's merchant guild and played a role in the city's governance during the turbulent period of the Hussite Wars.
Another individual of historical significance was Caspar Lamach, a 16th-century scholar and humanist from Goldberg (now Złotoryja, Poland). He studied at the University of Wittenberg and later became a professor of rhetoric at the University of Leipzig.
In the 17th century, the name LAMACH can be found in various church records and parish registers across Silesia. One example is Johann Lamach, a Protestant clergyman who served as the pastor of the church in Landeshut (now Kamienna Góra, Poland) in the mid-1600s.
The surname LAMACH has also been associated with several notable figures in the field of military service. For instance, there was a General Karl Lamach who served in the Prussian Army during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century.
Over time, the name LAMACH has spread beyond its Silesian origins and can now be found in various parts of Europe and even in the Americas, likely due to migration patterns and the diaspora of Silesian families.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lamach
Among Census respondents with the surname Lamach, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lamach 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 Lamach surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 95
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lamach
Lamach 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,781 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,781 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 289 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 Lamach 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 | #152,628 | #152,339 | 0.2% |
| Count | 107 | 106 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lamach bearers went from 107 to 106 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 289 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #152,339.
FAQ
Lamach surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lamach?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Lamach. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Lamach?
Lamach ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Lamach. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lamach.
Has Lamach become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lamach went from 107 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Lamach?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lamach, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Lamach in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lamach appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Lamach (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 Lamach mean?
A surname possibly derived from the biblical name Lamech or a variant spelling. 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 Lamach (0.04 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 share the surname Lamach?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.