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

Lamas, 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 Lamas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lamas in America

Lamas is the 6100th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lamas surname appeared 5,621 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Lamas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lamas 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 Lamas

The surname Lamas originates from Portugal and Spain, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "lama," meaning "mud" or "marsh," suggesting that the name initially referred to someone living near a marshy area or someone who worked with mud or clay.

The earliest recorded instances of the Lamas surname can be found in Portuguese and Spanish medieval records. In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing this name was Pedro de Lamas, a Portuguese explorer and navigator who participated in the expeditions to Africa and India.

During the 17th century, the Lamas surname gained prominence in Spain, particularly in the region of Galicia. One notable figure from this era was Juan de Lamas, a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish Armada and participated in the Battle of Gravelines in 1588.

In the 18th century, the Lamas surname spread to Spanish colonies in the Americas. One notable bearer of this name was José Antonio de Lamas, a Spanish-born military officer who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1782 to 1786.

The 19th century saw the Lamas surname gain recognition in the field of literature. One prominent figure was Juán Lamas, a Venezuelan poet and writer born in 1828. His works played a significant role in the development of Venezuelan literature.

Another notable figure with the Lamas surname was Tomás Lamas, an Argentine diplomat and politician born in 1819. He served as the Foreign Minister of Argentina and played a crucial role in the formation of the Argentine National Constitution of 1853.

In the 20th century, the Lamas surname gained international recognition through the actor and dancer, Fernando Lamas. Born in 1915 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he was a popular leading man in Hollywood films during the 1940s and 1950s, known for his suave and debonair persona.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lamas

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

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 Lamas 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 Lamas 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 Lamas was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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