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

Lehman, 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 Lehman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lehman in America

Lehman is the 1086th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lehman surname appeared 32,180 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Lehman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lehman 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 Lehman

The surname Lehman is of German origin, dating back to the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, where it was derived from the Middle High German words "lehen" meaning "fief" or "feudal estate," and "man" meaning "man" or "person." Thus, the name likely referred to a man who held or managed a feudal estate or fief on behalf of a lord or noble.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Lehman can be found in various medieval records and documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is a reference to a certain Henrich Lehman in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dated around 1280.

Over the centuries, the name Lehman has undergone various spelling variations, such as Lehmann, Leeman, and Leaman, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations. In some cases, the name may have also been associated with specific place names, such as Lehmannsdorf or Lehmenau, which were villages or towns where the name was particularly prevalent.

Among notable individuals who bore the surname Lehman throughout history are:

1. Johann Gottlob Lehmann (1719-1767), a German botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and nomenclature.

2. Lilli Lehmann (1848-1929), a renowned German operatic soprano who was particularly admired for her interpretations of the works of Richard Wagner.

3. Herbert H. Lehman (1878-1963), an American lawyer, politician, and businessman who served as the 45th Governor of New York from 1933 to 1942.

4. Inge Lehmann (1888-1993), a Danish seismologist and geophysicist who made groundbreaking discoveries about the Earth's inner core, leading to a better understanding of the planet's interior structure.

5. Liza Lehmann (1862-1918), an English singer, composer, and actress who was particularly known for her compositions of art songs and operettas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the surname Lehman has its roots in medieval Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through emigration and migration patterns over the past few centuries. However, its historical origins and significance can be traced back to the feudal system of medieval Europe, where it likely denoted an individual's role and status as a manager or steward of a landed estate.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lehman

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!