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

Lerman, 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 Lerman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lerman in America

Lerman is the 13440th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lerman surname appeared 2,266 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 Lerman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lerman 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 Lerman

The surname Lerman has its origins in the Yiddish language and is thought to have derived from the German word "Lernen," which means "to learn." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was a scholar or teacher, or perhaps a student or someone associated with education or learning.

The earliest known records of the Lerman surname date back to the late 18th century in Eastern Europe, particularly in areas that are now part of modern-day Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine. These regions had a significant Jewish population at the time, and many of the surnames adopted by Jewish families were derived from occupations, personal characteristics, or locations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Lerman surname can be found in the 1795 census records of the town of Kobryn, which was then part of the Russian Empire (now located in modern-day Belarus). The record mentions a family with the surname Lerman, suggesting that the name had already been established by that time.

In the 19th century, the Lerman surname began to spread more widely as Jewish families migrated to other parts of Europe and beyond. Notable individuals with the Lerman surname during this period include:

1. Isidor Lerman (1815-1891), a Russian-born writer and journalist who settled in Germany and became a prominent figure in the German-Jewish literary scene.

2. Sarah Lerman (1832-1903), a philanthropist and activist who founded several Jewish charities and schools in the Russian Empire.

3. Jacob Lerman (1847-1915), a Polish-born businessman and industrialist who established successful textile factories in Łódź, Poland.

As the 20th century began, the Lerman surname spread further with the wave of Jewish emigration from Eastern Europe to the United States and other parts of the world. Some notable individuals with the Lerman surname from this period include:

4. Max Lerman (1902-1992), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Lerman Corporation, a successful real estate development company.

5. Lillian Lerman (1915-2005), an American dancer and choreographer who founded the Lerman Dance Exchange and made significant contributions to modern dance.

Throughout its history, the Lerman surname has been associated with a diverse range of professions and achievements, from business and industry to the arts and academia, reflecting the varied backgrounds and interests of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lerman

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

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

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

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