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

Letman, 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 Letman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Letman in America

Letman is the 110286th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Letman surname appeared 160 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Letman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Letman 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 Letman

The surname Letman originated in England during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "laet" meaning "slow" or "late" and "mann" meaning "man." This suggests the name may have been a descriptive nickname originally given to someone perceived as sluggish or habitually late.

Records of the name can be found in various historical documents from the Middle Ages onward. One of the earliest known references is in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, which mentions a person named William Leteman. The surname also appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex from 1327, listing a certain John Letman.

The name has undergone various spelling variations over time, such as Leteman, Lettman, and Leitman, before solidifying into the modern form of Letman. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the Middle English word "leten," meaning "to delay" or "to hinder," further reinforcing the name's connotation of tardiness or inaction.

While not a particularly common surname, Letman has been borne by several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was William Letman, a merchant and landowner who lived in York, England, in the late 15th century. Another early bearer of the name was John Letman, a clergyman who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, in the early 16th century.

During the 17th century, a family by the name of Letman resided in the village of Shalfleet on the Isle of Wight. One member of this family, Richard Letman (1632-1704), was a prominent yeoman farmer and served as a churchwarden in the local parish.

In the 18th century, a certain Thomas Letman (1712-1785) gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker in the city of Bristol. His clocks and watches were highly regarded for their craftsmanship and accuracy.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Sir John Letman (1823-1901), a British military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Windward Islands from 1874 to 1880.

While the name Letman is not among the most widespread surnames, it has a rich history rooted in medieval England, with various spelling variations and references in historical records. From merchants and clergymen to skilled artisans and colonial administrators, the name has been associated with individuals from diverse walks of life throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Letman

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

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

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

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