2000
#8,936
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,364
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.25
Rare Last name
Lemire
French occupational surname for a doctor or physician, derived from Old French "mire" meaning "physician."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,773 Americans carry the last name Lemire. That puts it at #9,459 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,844 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lemire 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
3.8K
1 in 90,844
Census rank
#9,459
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,290 bearers of the surname Lemire in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9459th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lemire, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lemire
The surname Lemire originated in France, specifically in the northern region of Normandy. It likely dates back to the 11th or 12th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old French word "le mire," which translates to "the physician" or "the healer."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lemire can be found in the Domesday Book, a medieval manuscript that documented landowners in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. This suggests that the name was carried over to England by Norman settlers during this period.
In the 13th century, there are records of a family named Lemire residing in the village of Bretteville-sur-Odon, near the city of Caen in Normandy. This region is considered the likely place of origin for the surname.
During the Middle Ages, the name Lemire was sometimes spelled differently, such as "Le Myre" or "Lemyre." These variations reflect the fluid nature of surname spellings before they became standardized.
One notable figure in history with the surname Lemire was Jean-Baptiste Lemire (1637-1722), a French Catholic priest and theologian who served as the Bishop of Grasse and Vence in southeastern France.
Another individual of note was Jacques Lemire (1770-1842), a French architect who contributed to the design of several notable buildings in Paris, including the Palais Bourbon and the Church of St. Vincent de Paul.
In the 19th century, Louis-Prosper Lemire (1809-1887) was a French politician and lawyer who served as a deputy in the National Assembly.
The name Lemire also has a historical presence in Canada, where many French settlers brought the surname after migrating from France. One example is Joseph Lemire (1859-1924), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Canadian Parliament.
Additionally, Marcel Lemire (1901-1976) was a prominent Canadian artist and sculptor, known for his works depicting scenes from Canadian life and nature.
While the origins of the surname Lemire trace back to medieval France, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, through migration and diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lemire
Among Census respondents with the surname Lemire, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Lemire 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 Lemire surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 3,018
- Two or more races3.6% · 119
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 107
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 12
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lemire
Lemire 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
#9,281
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,507
+143 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 345 places
2020
#9,459
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,290
-217 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 178 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,936 | 3,364 | 1.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,281 | 3,507 | 1.19 | +143 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 345 places |
| 2020 | #9,459 | 3,290 | 1.10 | -217 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 178 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 Lemire 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 | #9,281 | #9,459 | -1.9% |
| Count | 3,507 | 3,290 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.10 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lemire bearers went from 3,507 to 3,290 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 178 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,281 to #9,459.
FAQ
Lemire surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lemire?
Name Census estimates that about 3,773 living Americans carry the surname Lemire. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,844 residents.
How common is Lemire?
Lemire ranks #9,459 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,290 people with the surname Lemire. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,773), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lemire.
Has Lemire become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lemire went from 3,507 recorded bearers to 3,290. That is a decrease of 217 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,281 to #9,459.
What does the Census say about the background of Lemire?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lemire, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Lemire in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (3,018 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lemire appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Lemire (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 Lemire mean?
French occupational surname for a doctor or physician, derived from Old French "mire" meaning "physician." 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 Lemire (1.10 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 share the surname Lemire?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.