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

Leme, 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 Leme surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leme in America

Leme is the 126765th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leme surname appeared 135 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 Leme.

The history of the last name Leme

The surname LEME has its origins in Portugal, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the word "leme," which means "rudder" in Portuguese. This suggests that the name may have been associated with someone who worked in maritime professions or lived near a port.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LEME can be found in the Portuguese Inquisition records from the 16th century. In these records, several individuals with the surname LEME were mentioned, indicating that the name was already well-established in Portugal during that time.

The name LEME is also linked to various place names in Portugal, such as Leme (a parish in the municipality of Barcelos) and Leme (a parish in the municipality of Arcos de Valdevez). These place names may have influenced the surname's spread and adoption in different regions.

One notable figure in history with the surname LEME was Pedro Leme, a Portuguese explorer who lived in the 16th century. He is credited with being one of the first Europeans to explore the coast of present-day Brazil, specifically the region around Rio de Janeiro. His expeditions contributed to the Portuguese colonization efforts in South America.

Another influential individual was Gaspar Leme, a Portuguese nobleman and military leader who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries. He played a significant role in the Portuguese conquest of Brazil and served as the first Captain-General of Rio de Janeiro from 1567 to 1572.

In the 18th century, Joaquim Leme da Silva Leite (1732-1808) was a prominent Portuguese jurist and legal scholar. He served as a judge in the Court of Appeal in Lisbon and authored several influential legal texts.

Moving to the 19th century, António José Leme (1819-1888) was a Brazilian politician and lawyer. He served as a deputy in the General Assembly of Rio de Janeiro and played a crucial role in the abolition of slavery in Brazil.

Lastly, José Leme da Silva (1820-1891) was a Brazilian painter and one of the pioneers of the Romantic movement in Brazilian art. His works, which often depicted landscapes and historical scenes, are considered important contributions to the development of Brazilian cultural identity.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leme

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

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 Leme 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.

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

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

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