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

Leman, 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 Leman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leman in America

Leman is the 19152nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leman surname appeared 1,418 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 Leman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leman 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 Leman

The surname LEMAN finds its origins in the Old French language, deriving from the word "l'homme," which translates to "the man." This name emerged during the Middle Ages in France, around the 11th century.

Initially, LEMAN was a descriptive surname, likely given to someone of notable stature or prominence within their community. It may have been bestowed upon a respected leader, a landowner, or an individual who held a position of authority.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the LEMAN surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and tenants in England following the Norman Conquest. The record mentions a "William Leman" as a tenant in the county of Essex.

As the name spread across Europe, it took on various spellings and variations, such as Lehman, Leeman, and Lemon. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal errors in documentation.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the LEMAN surname. One such figure was Walter Leman (c. 1450-1504), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1499 until his death.

Another prominent LEMAN was Sir John Leman (1544-1612), a wealthy merchant and benefactor from Norfolk, England. He made significant charitable contributions, including funding the construction of a school and almshouses in the town of Beccles.

In the 17th century, Jacob Leman (1628-1681) was a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes depicting everyday life in the Netherlands.

The LEMAN name also has ties to geographical locations. For instance, the village of Leman in Normandy, France, likely derived its name from the surname, indicating a possible place of origin for some LEMAN families.

Another notable figure was Benjamin Leman (1770-1835), an English Quaker and philanthropist who advocated for the abolition of slavery and supported various social reform movements.

While the LEMAN surname may have originated in France, it has since spread across Europe and beyond, with families bearing this name found in countries like England, Germany, the Netherlands, and even the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leman

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

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

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

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