2000
#3,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,359
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.47
Uncommon Last name
Lomeli
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from the Basque place name Lumelli, meaning "bare hill" or "treeless hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,675 Americans carry the last name Lomeli. That puts it at #2,953 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,064 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lomeli 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.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 25,064
Census rank
#2,953
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,925 bearers of the surname Lomeli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2953rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lomeli, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Black (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lomeli
The surname Lomeli is believed to have originated in Spain, with its roots tracing back to the medieval era. It is thought to be derived from the word "loma," which means "hill" or "small mountain" in Spanish. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who hailed from or resided in hilly or mountainous regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Lomeli surname can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a medieval manuscript from the 10th century that documented various transactions and legal proceedings in the region of La Rioja, Spain. This indicates that the name was already in use during that time period.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Rodrigo Lomeli was mentioned in the Crónica General de España, a historical chronicle written by King Alfonso X of Castile. This suggests that the Lomeli family had gained some prominence and recognition by that era.
During the 16th century, the Lomeli name appeared in several records related to the Spanish conquest of Mexico. One such individual was Juan Lomeli, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the expedition led by Hernán Cortés in the early 1500s.
Another notable individual with the Lomeli surname was Adrián Lomeli, a Spanish painter who lived in the 17th century. He was known for his religious works and was commissioned to create several altarpieces for churches in Spain.
In the 19th century, a Mexican politician and military leader named José María Lomeli played a significant role in the Mexican War of Independence. He fought alongside Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon and was recognized for his bravery and leadership.
Throughout history, variations of the Lomeli surname have emerged, such as Lomelí, Lomelin, and Lomelines. These variations often reflect regional spelling preferences or adaptations to different languages and cultures.
It is important to note that while some historical figures with the Lomeli surname have been mentioned here, the name has been borne by countless individuals across various walks of life throughout the centuries, each with their own unique stories and contributions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lomeli
Among Census respondents with the surname Lomeli, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Black (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Lomeli 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 Lomeli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.8% · 11,184
- White5.4% · 642
- Black or African American0.3% · 32
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 28
- Two or more races0.2% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lomeli
Lomeli 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
#2,922
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,263
+2,904 bearers (+31.0%)
Per 100,000 4.16
Rank movement Up 570 places
2020
#2,953
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,925
-338 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 3.99
Rank movement Down 31 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,492 | 9,359 | 3.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,922 | 12,263 | 4.16 | +2,904 bearers (+31.0%) | Up 570 places |
| 2020 | #2,953 | 11,925 | 3.99 | -338 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 31 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 Lomeli 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 | #2,922 | #2,953 | -1.1% |
| Count | 12,263 | 11,925 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 4.16 | 3.99 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lomeli bearers went from 12,263 to 11,925 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 31 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,922 to #2,953.
FAQ
Lomeli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lomeli?
Name Census estimates that about 13,675 living Americans carry the surname Lomeli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,064 residents.
How common is Lomeli?
Lomeli ranks #2,953 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.99 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,925 people with the surname Lomeli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,675), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.99 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Lomeli.
Has Lomeli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lomeli went from 12,263 recorded bearers to 11,925. That is a decrease of 338 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,922 to #2,953.
What does the Census say about the background of Lomeli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lomeli, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Black (0.3%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lomeli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (11,184 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lomeli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.8%), White (5.4%), Black (0.3%). 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 Lomeli (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 Lomeli mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from the Basque place name Lumelli, meaning "bare hill" or "treeless hill." 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 Lomeli (3.99 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 Americans have the surname Lomeli?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.