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

Lemos, 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 Lemos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lemos in America

Lemos is the 6579th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lemos surname appeared 5,147 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Lemos.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lemos 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 Lemos

The surname LEMOS is of Portuguese origin, believed to have emerged in the late medieval period around the 12th or 13th centuries. It is derived from the Portuguese word "lemos," which means "elm trees," suggesting that the name may have originated from a place or region known for its elm trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the LEMOS surname can be found in medieval Portuguese records from the 14th century, where it is mentioned as a place name. In the Livro de Linhagens do Conde D. Pedro (Book of Lineages of Count D. Pedro), a medieval Portuguese genealogical work, the name LEMOS is referenced as a location in the northern region of Portugal.

The LEMOS surname has a strong connection to the town of Lemos, located in the Braga district of Portugal. It is believed that the earliest bearers of the LEMOS surname may have originated from this town or the surrounding areas, taking their name from the place where they lived or held land.

In the late 15th century, during the Age of Discovery, several individuals with the LEMOS surname played significant roles in the Portuguese exploration and colonization efforts. One notable figure was Alvaro de Lemos, a Portuguese navigator and explorer who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1498.

Another prominent figure was Francisco de Lemos, a Portuguese conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Brazil in the early 16th century. He is credited with founding the city of Salvador in 1549, which became the first colonial capital of Brazil.

In the 17th century, Manuel de Lemos, a Portuguese Jesuit missionary, traveled to Japan and worked tirelessly to spread Christianity in the region. He is remembered for his efforts in establishing and strengthening the Catholic Church's presence in Japan during a time of religious persecution.

The LEMOS surname also has a notable presence in the literary world. Basilio da Gama Lemos, a 19th-century Portuguese writer and poet, is renowned for his works that explored themes of love, nature, and human emotions.

Throughout history, the LEMOS surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, explorers, missionaries, and artists. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Portugal, where it was closely associated with specific locations and geographic features, particularly elm trees.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lemos

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!