Liman
A surname derived from the French word "limon" meaning lime or loam, possibly referring to someone who worked with lime or lived near a lime quarry.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Liman. That puts it at #143,149 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Liman surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#143,149
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Liman in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143149th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Liman, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (31.9%) and Hispanic (12.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Liman
The surname LIMAN has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the early 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "limu," meaning "mud" or "clay," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a muddy or clayey area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LIMAN surname can be found in the historic town records of Augsburg, Bavaria, dating back to 1532. These records mention a certain Hans Liman, a tradesman who resided in the city's district of St. Jakob.
In the 17th century, the LIMAN name appeared in various church registers and local chronicles across southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Some notable examples include Johann Liman (1612-1679), a respected magistrate in the town of Ulm, and Katharina Liman (1638-1701), a midwife from the village of Neustadt an der Weinstraße.
As the LIMAN family spread across Germany, the name underwent minor spelling variations, such as Limmann and Liemann, which were common in northern regions like Saxony and Brandenburg.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LIMAN name outside of Germany can be found in the Netherlands, where a certain Pieter Liman (1670-1742) was a renowned merchant and shipowner based in Amsterdam.
In the 19th century, the LIMAN surname gained further prominence with the birth of Fyodor Liman (1835-1918), a Russian military commander who played a significant role in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878.
Another notable figure bearing the LIMAN name was Artur Liman (1868-1932), a German lawyer and politician who served as the last Imperial Minister of Justice in the German Empire from 1918 to 1919.
The LIMAN surname has also been associated with several prominent academics and scientists, such as the German mathematician Karl Liman (1874-1952) and the Austrian-American biologist Caspar Liman (1893-1969), who made significant contributions to the field of cytogenetics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Liman
Among Census respondents with the surname Liman, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (31.9%) and Hispanic (12.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Liman bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Liman surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.7%
- Asian and Pacific Islander31.9%
- Hispanic or Latino12.9%
- Unknown or suppressed3.4%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Liman surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #140,756 | #143,149 | -1.7% |
| Count | 109 | 116 | 6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.0% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Liman bearers went from 109 to 116 (+6.4% change). The surname moved down 2,393 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,756 to #143,149.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Liman
FAQ
Liman surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Liman?
The surname Liman holds position #143,149 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 137 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Liman surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Liman, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (31.9%) and Hispanic (12.9%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.