2000
#1,170
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,433
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.17
Uncommon Last name
Lim
A Chinese surname with various origins, including a topographical reference to forests, woods, or groves.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 46,188 Americans carry the last name Lim. That puts it at #839 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 13.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,421 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lim 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lim with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
46K
1 in 7,421
Census rank
#839
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
13.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
40K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 40,278 bearers of the surname Lim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 13.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 839th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and White (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lim
The surname Lim has its origins in China, where it dates back to ancient times. It is believed to be derived from the Chinese word "林", which means "forest" or "woods". The name was likely originally given to someone who lived near or worked in a forested area.
In its earliest recorded form, the surname Lim was spelled "Lin" or "Lín". This spelling can be found in Chinese historical records dating back to the 3rd century BC. Over time, as the name spread to other regions of Asia and eventually to other parts of the world, the spelling evolved into various forms, including Lim, Lym, and Liem.
One of the earliest known mentions of the name Lim can be found in the Hou Han Shu, a historical text from the 5th century AD, which chronicles the Later Han Dynasty (25-220 AD). The text references a scholar named Lim Zhi, who lived during the Eastern Han period (25-220 AD).
Another notable early figure with the surname Lim was Lim Buan, a famous Chinese poet and scholar who lived during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). His works are still studied and appreciated today.
As the name spread beyond China, it became more common in other parts of Asia, particularly in countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Lim in Southeast Asia dates back to the 15th century, when a Chinese merchant named Lim Leng Heong settled in Malacca, a major trading port in what is now Malaysia.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the surname Lim began appearing more frequently in Western records as Chinese immigrants settled in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. One notable figure from this period was Lim Lip Hong, a Chinese-Australian businessman and community leader who was born in 1836 and played a significant role in the development of the Chinese community in Sydney, Australia.
Other notable individuals with the surname Lim throughout history include Lim Hung Kang (1907-1977), a Malaysian lawyer and politician who fought for Malaysian independence; Lim Chong Eu (1919-2010), a Malaysian businessman and philanthropist; and Lim Chong Yah (1915-1985), a Singaporean economist and academic who helped shape Singapore's economic policies in its early years as an independent nation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lim
Among Census respondents with the surname Lim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and White (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lim 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 Lim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.9% · 36,605
- Two or more races3.7% · 1,501
- White3.1% · 1,247
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 742
- Black or African American0.4% · 164
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lim
Lim 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
#936
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 37,021
+9,588 bearers (+35.0%)
Per 100,000 12.55
Rank movement Up 234 places
2020
#839
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 40,278
+3,257 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 13.48
Rank movement Up 97 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,170 | 27,433 | 10.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #936 | 37,021 | 12.55 | +9,588 bearers (+35.0%) | Up 234 places |
| 2020 | #839 | 40,278 | 13.48 | +3,257 bearers (+8.8%) | Up 97 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 Lim 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 | #936 | #839 | 10.4% |
| Count | 37,021 | 40,278 | 8.8% |
| Per 100K | 12.55 | 13.48 | 7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lim bearers went from 37,021 to 40,278 (+8.8% change). The surname moved up 97 positions in the national ranking, going from #936 to #839.
FAQ
Lim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lim?
Name Census estimates that about 46,188 living Americans carry the surname Lim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,421 residents.
How common is Lim?
Lim ranks #839 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 13.48 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 40,278 people with the surname Lim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (46,188), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 13.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 13.48 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Lim.
Has Lim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lim went from 37,021 recorded bearers to 40,278. That is an increase of 3,257 (+8.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #936 to #839.
What does the Census say about the background of Lim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and White (3.1%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (36,605 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.9%), Two or More Races (3.7%), White (3.1%). 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 Lim (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 Lim mean?
A Chinese surname with various origins, including a topographical reference to forests, woods, or groves. 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 Lim (13.48 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 Lim?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.