Limas last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Limas

A Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from the Latin word "limus," meaning "mud" or "slime."

Limas, 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 Limas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Limas in America

Limas is the 12417th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Limas surname appeared 2,504 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 Limas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Limas 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 12417 13473 -8.16%
Count 2,504 2,071 18.93%
Proportion per 100k 0.85 0.77 9.88%

The history of the last name Limas

The surname Limas originated in Spain during the medieval period. It likely derived from the Spanish word 'lima', meaning 'lime tree'. This suggests the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who cultivated or worked with lime trees. Alternatively, it could have been a locational name for someone who lived near a prominent lime tree or grove.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Limas appears in the Catalonian region of Spain in the 14th century. A document from 1312 mentions a 'Joan de Limas' from the town of Lleida. The name is also found in 15th century records from the Basque region, spelled 'Limaz'.

In the 16th century, the name spreads to the Spanish colonies in the Americas. Juan de Limas, born in 1523, was an early Spanish settler in what is now Mexico. He was granted land by the Spanish Crown for his services in the conquest of the Aztec Empire.

Pedro de Limas, born in 1601 in Seville, Spain, was a noted explorer and navigator. He accompanied several expeditions to the Philippines and mapped parts of the Pacific Ocean. His detailed journals from these voyages are held in the archives of the Spanish Navy.

The Limas name also has a presence in Portuguese history. António de Limas, born in 1675 in Lisbon, was a prominent architect who designed several churches and palaces in the Portuguese capital in the baroque style.

María de Limas, a Spanish noblewoman born in 1722, was a patron of the arts and sciences during the Enlightenment era. Her salons in Madrid were frequented by leading intellectuals and writers of the time.

As the Limas name spread throughout the Spanish-speaking world, variations like Limos, Limaes, and Limaz emerged, reflecting regional linguistic differences. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remained rooted in the lime tree etymology from medieval Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Limas

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

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 Limas was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 7.15% 179
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.52% 13
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.36% 34
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.32% 8
Hispanic Origin 90.65% 2,270

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 Limas has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 7.15% 8.69% -19.44%
Black 0.52% 0.68% -26.67%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.36% 1.26% 7.63%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.29% -200.00%
Two or More Races 0.32% 0.53% -49.41%
Hispanic 90.65% 88.56% 2.33%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Limas last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 10, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/limas-surname-popularity/.

"Limas last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/limas-surname-popularity/. Accessed 10 October, 2024

Limas last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/limas-surname-popularity/.

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