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

Lamey, 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 Lamey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lamey in America

Lamey is the 22012th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lamey surname appeared 1,178 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Lamey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lamey 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 Lamey

The surname Lamey has its origins in France and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "l'aimé," meaning "the beloved." This suggests that the name may have initially been bestowed upon a person who was particularly cherished or adored within their community.

The earliest recorded instance of the Lamey surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy. It is believed that the name was initially associated with a noble family or estate, as many surnames during that era were derived from place names or titles of land ownership.

One notable historical reference to the Lamey name can be found in the Hundred Rolls, a census-like record compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I (1272-1307). This document mentions a certain "Robert de Lamé," indicating the presence of the name in England as early as the 13th century.

In the 15th century, a prominent figure named Jean Lamey (1420-1498) was a French cleric and theologian who served as the Bishop of Évreux. His influential writings and teachings contributed to the spread and recognition of the Lamey name within the ecclesiastical circles of France.

Another individual of note was Jacques Lamey (1568-1643), a French mathematician and astronomer who worked at the renowned Collège de France in Paris. His contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and his publication on the use of logarithms in astronomical calculations brought further distinction to the Lamey name.

In the 17th century, the Lamey surname also found its way to the New World, with records indicating the presence of a family by that name in the early colonial settlements of New France (present-day Quebec, Canada). One such individual was Pierre Lamey (1630-1685), a farmer and landowner who established roots in the Seigneurie of Rivière-du-Loup.

Over the centuries, variations of the Lamey surname emerged, including Lamy, Lamé, and Lameye. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects, scribal errors, or personal preferences in spelling and pronunciation. Despite these variations, the core meaning and lineage of the name remained consistent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lamey

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

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

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

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