2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lymer
A habitational surname derived from a place name in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Lymer. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lymer 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 Lymer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Lymer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lymer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lymer
The surname Lymer has its origins in England, emerging sometime around the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "lyme," which referred to a lime or linden tree. This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived near a prominent lime tree or in an area where these trees were abundant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lymer can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1285, which mentions a John Lymer. This legal document, which recorded land transactions, provides evidence that the name was in use during the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the Lymer surname appeared in various records across different counties in England. For instance, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379 listed a John Lymer, while the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1332 included a Thomas Lymer.
The Lymer name has also been linked to certain place names, such as Lymer in Hampshire, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Limere." This connection suggests that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their place of origin or residence.
Notable individuals with the surname Lymer include Sir John Lymer (c. 1535-1609), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Southampton. Another notable figure was William Lymer (1592-1653), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
In the 17th century, Edward Lymer (1628-1686) was a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Baron of the Exchequer. A contemporary of his was Samuel Lymer (1635-1701), an English merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to educational and charitable causes.
One of the more recent historical figures with the Lymer surname was John Lymer (1767-1849), an English engraver and illustrator known for his work on botanical publications.
These examples demonstrate the longevity and geographical spread of the Lymer surname throughout English history, with individuals bearing this name emerging in various regions and professions over several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lymer
Among Census respondents with the surname Lymer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Lymer 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 Lymer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 111
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lymer
Lymer 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,669 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+10 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,664 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 13,669 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 7,664 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 Lymer 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 | #150,452 | #142,788 | 5.1% |
| Count | 109 | 119 | 9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lymer bearers went from 109 to 119 (+9.2% change). The surname moved up 7,664 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #142,788.
FAQ
Lymer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lymer?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Lymer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Lymer?
Lymer ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Lymer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lymer.
Has Lymer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lymer went from 109 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 10 (+9.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Lymer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lymer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lymer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lymer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Lymer (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 Lymer mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name in England. 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 Lymer (0.04 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 are called Lymer?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Lymer is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.