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

Leming, 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 Leming surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leming in America

Leming is the 13115th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leming surname appeared 2,337 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Leming.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leming 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 Leming

The surname Leming is of English origin, derived from an area in Westmorland, now part of Cumbria. It is believed to be a locational name, referring to someone who came from a place called Liming or Lemming. These place names are thought to have originated from the Old English word 'lam', meaning loam or muddy soil.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Leming dates back to the 13th century. In the Subsidy Rolls of Westmorland from 1332, there is a reference to one Adam de Lemyng. This suggests that the name was well-established in the region by that time.

In the 16th century, the surname appeared in various records with different spellings, such as Lemyng, Lemmyng, and Lemminge. These variations were common before standardized spellings became more widespread.

One notable early bearer of the Leming surname was John Leming, a yeoman farmer from Westmorland who lived in the late 15th century. Records show that he owned land in the village of Bampton.

Another individual of note was William Leming, born in 1620 in Kendal, Westmorland. He was a prominent merchant and served as a local magistrate in the mid-17th century.

In the 18th century, the Leming family had a strong presence in the village of Shap, Westmorland. Thomas Leming, born in 1712, was a respected landowner and farmer in the area.

Moving into the 19th century, we find Elizabeth Leming, born in 1818 in Kendal. She was a renowned poet and writer, publishing several volumes of poetry and prose during her lifetime.

Finally, one of the most famous bearers of the Leming surname was Sir John Leming, born in 1865 in Appleby, Westmorland. He was a highly decorated military officer who served in the British Army during the Boer War and World War I, earning numerous honors for his service.

While the surname Leming has its roots in the north of England, particularly in the historic county of Westmorland, it has since spread to other parts of the country and beyond, with bearers of the name found in various regions and countries around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leming

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

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

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

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