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

Lem, 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 Lem surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lem in America

Lem is the 22216th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lem surname appeared 1,161 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 Lem.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lem 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 Lem

The surname LEM is of Polish origin, arising in the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the old Polish word "lem", meaning elm tree, suggesting the name may have referred to someone who lived near an elm grove or worked with elm wood.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the 1388 records of the town of Krakow, where a craftsman named Jan Lem is listed. This suggests the name was already established in the region by that time.

There are also references to the name in 15th century land records from the village of Lemiany, near the city of Olsztyn in northern Poland. The village name itself is likely derived from the surname, indicating families with this last name may have lived there or founded the settlement.

An early notable bearer of the name was Stanislaw Lem, a renowned Polish writer and philosopher who lived from 1921 to 2006. He is best known for his science fiction works which explored philosophical themes and garnered him international acclaim.

Another prominent figure was Mieczyslaw Lem, a Polish economist and politician who served as Minister of Finance from 1947 to 1949. He played a pivotal role in shaping Poland's post-war economic policies.

In the 16th century, records show a Piotr Lem who was a respected artisan and craftsman in the city of Gdansk, known for his intricate woodcarvings.

Moving into the 19th century, there was Karolina Lem, a Polish painter and artist born in 1856, whose works were celebrated for their vivid depictions of rural life and landscapes.

Lastly, a notable modern bearer is Stanislaw Lem Jr., born in 1943, who followed in his father's footsteps as a science fiction writer and has continued the family's literary legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lem

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

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

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

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