2000
#7,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,962
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.47
Rare Last name
Lamas
A Spanish surname derived from the word "lama," meaning a muddy or swampy place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,521 Americans carry the last name Lamas. That puts it at #6,736 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,082 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lamas 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 Lamas with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,082
Census rank
#6,736
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,815 bearers of the surname Lamas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6736th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lamas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (10.7%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lamas
Among Census respondents with the surname Lamas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (10.7%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lamas 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 Lamas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.6% · 4,217
- White10.7% · 515
- Black or African American0.5% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 22
- Two or more races0.5% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lamas
Lamas 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
#6,100
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,621
+1,659 bearers (+41.9%)
Per 100,000 1.91
Rank movement Up 1,632 places
2020
#6,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,815
-806 bearers (-14.3%)
Per 100,000 1.61
Rank movement Down 636 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,732 | 3,962 | 1.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,100 | 5,621 | 1.91 | +1,659 bearers (+41.9%) | Up 1,632 places |
| 2020 | #6,736 | 4,815 | 1.61 | -806 bearers (-14.3%) | Down 636 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 Lamas 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 | #6,100 | #6,736 | -10.4% |
| Count | 5,621 | 4,815 | -14.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.91 | 1.61 | -15.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lamas bearers went from 5,621 to 4,815 (-14.3% change). The surname moved down 636 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,100 to #6,736.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lamas
FAQ
Lamas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lamas?
Name Census estimates that about 5,521 living Americans carry the surname Lamas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,082 residents.
How common is Lamas?
Lamas ranks #6,736 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,815 people with the surname Lamas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,521), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Lamas.
Has Lamas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lamas went from 5,621 recorded bearers to 4,815. That is a decrease of 806 (-14.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,100 to #6,736.
What does the Census say about the background of Lamas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lamas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (10.7%) and Black (0.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lamas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (4,217 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lamas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.6%), White (10.7%), Black (0.5%). 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 Lamas (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 Lamas mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "lama," meaning a muddy or swampy place. 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 Lamas (1.61 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 Americans have the surname Lamas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.