2000
#3,208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,235
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.79
Uncommon Last name
Lerma
A habitational surname derived from a place name in Spain, possibly referring to a fortified hill or castle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,869 Americans carry the last name Lerma. That puts it at #2,902 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,714 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lerma 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
14K
1 in 24,714
Census rank
#2,902
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,094 bearers of the surname Lerma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2902nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lerma, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lerma
The surname Lerma originates from Spain, with its roots traced back to the 11th century. It is believed to have emerged from the town of Lerma, located in the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. This place name is derived from the Basque word "lerre," meaning "slope" or "hillside," indicating that the town was situated on a sloping terrain.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Lerma can be found in the medieval Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript preserved in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia. This codex contains a record of pilgrims who traveled to the famous Santiago de Compostela, where the name Lerma is mentioned.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name Lerma was Álvaro de Lerma, a Spanish military commander who served under King Alfonso X of Castile and León. He played a crucial role in the conquest of Murcia and the Andalusian territories from the Moors in the mid-13th century.
During the 16th century, Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma (1553-1625), rose to prominence as a prominent Spanish statesman and the chief minister of King Philip III. He wielded significant power and influence during his tenure, shaping the political landscape of Spain.
Another notable figure with the surname Lerma was Juan de Lerma y Polanco (1557-1633), a Spanish military engineer and architect. He was responsible for the construction of several fortifications and defensive structures throughout Spain and its territories, including the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida.
In the realm of literature, Pedro Fernández de Velasco y Tovar, 6th Duke of Frías and Constable of Castile (1585-1649), is remembered for his patronage of the arts and his support for writers and poets during the Spanish Golden Age.
While the surname Lerma is widely associated with Spain and its historical figures, it has also spread to other regions due to migration and cultural exchanges. However, its origins can be firmly traced back to the town of Lerma in the Castilian region of Spain, where it first emerged as a distinctive surname in the Middle Ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lerma
Among Census respondents with the surname Lerma, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lerma 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 Lerma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.5% · 10,944
- White7.0% · 851
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 129
- Two or more races0.5% · 65
- Black or African American0.5% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 41
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lerma
Lerma 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
#2,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,639
+2,404 bearers (+23.5%)
Per 100,000 4.28
Rank movement Up 356 places
2020
#2,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,094
-545 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 4.05
Rank movement Down 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,208 | 10,235 | 3.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,852 | 12,639 | 4.28 | +2,404 bearers (+23.5%) | Up 356 places |
| 2020 | #2,902 | 12,094 | 4.05 | -545 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 50 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 Lerma 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 | #2,852 | #2,902 | -1.8% |
| Count | 12,639 | 12,094 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 4.28 | 4.05 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lerma bearers went from 12,639 to 12,094 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,852 to #2,902.
FAQ
Lerma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lerma?
Name Census estimates that about 13,869 living Americans carry the surname Lerma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,714 residents.
How common is Lerma?
Lerma ranks #2,902 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,094 people with the surname Lerma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,869), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Lerma.
Has Lerma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lerma went from 12,639 recorded bearers to 12,094. That is a decrease of 545 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,852 to #2,902.
What does the Census say about the background of Lerma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lerma, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lerma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (10,944 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lerma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.5%), White (7.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Lerma (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 Lerma mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name in Spain, possibly referring to a fortified hill or castle. 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 Lerma (4.05 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 Lerma?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Lerma at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.