2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lemense
A surname derived from a placename indicating the bearer's ancestral origin or residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Lemense. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lemense surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Lemense in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lemense, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lemense
The surname LEMENSE is believed to have originated in France during the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old French word "lemence," which means "lemon." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone who either grew or sold lemons, or perhaps had a particular fondness for the citrus fruit.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LEMENSE can be found in a medieval document from the region of Normandy, dated around 1180. This document mentions a "Jehan Lemense," who was likely a farmer or landowner in the area.
During the 13th century, the name LEMENSE appeared in several tax records and land registries throughout northern France. This indicates that the family had established itself as a prominent presence in the region by that time.
In the 14th century, the name LEMENSE can be found in the records of the city of Paris. A notable individual with this surname was Jacques LEMENSE, a respected merchant and trader who lived from 1325 to 1392.
As the centuries passed, the LEMENSE family continued to spread throughout France and into neighboring regions. In the 16th century, a branch of the family settled in the Netherlands, where the name was adapted to the spelling "Lemens."
One of the most famous individuals with the surname LEMENSE was Marie-Anne LEMENSE, a French writer and philosopher who lived from 1756 to 1836. She was a prominent figure during the Age of Enlightenment and was known for her contributions to the field of ethics and moral philosophy.
Another notable person with the LEMENSE surname was Pierre LEMENSE, a French explorer and cartographer who lived from 1692 to 1758. He was renowned for his detailed maps of the Caribbean region and his contributions to the field of navigation.
In the 19th century, the LEMENSE family continued to make its mark in various fields. François LEMENSE, born in 1819, was a renowned painter and sculptor who gained recognition for his intricate works depicting scenes from French history and mythology.
As the name LEMENSE spread to different parts of the world, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Lemans, Lemons, and Lemon. However, the original French spelling of LEMENSE remained the most common form throughout its long and storied history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lemense
Among Census respondents with the surname Lemense, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Lemense bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lemense surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lemense
Lemense appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,530 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-12 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,530 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 12,119 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lemense surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #137,327 | #149,446 | -8.8% |
| Count | 122 | 110 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lemense bearers went from 122 to 110 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 12,119 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #149,446.
FAQ
Lemense surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lemense?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Lemense. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Lemense?
Lemense ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Lemense. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lemense.
Has Lemense become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lemense went from 122 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Lemense?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lemense, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lemense in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lemense appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lemense (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lemense mean?
A surname derived from a placename indicating the bearer's ancestral origin or residence. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lemense (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Lemense?
Find out how many people have the last name Lemense on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.