2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vonlehmden
A locational German surname referring to someone from a place called Lehmden.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Vonlehmden. 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 Vonlehmden 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
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 Vonlehmden 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 Vonlehmden, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vonlehmden
The surname "VONLEHMDEN" originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from a place name, likely a small town or village in the region of Lower Saxony or Westphalia. The prefix "von" indicates that the name was originally associated with a particular location, in this case, a place called "Lehmden."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "VONLEHMDEN" can be found in a medieval manuscript from the 13th century, which mentions a nobleman named Heinrich VONLEHMDEN. This document suggests that the name was already established among the German aristocracy during that time period.
In the 14th century, records show a prominent family with the surname VONLEHMDEN residing in the town of Hameln, located in Lower Saxony. This family played a significant role in the local governance and politics of the region during the late medieval period.
The name "VONLEHMDEN" may have originated from the Old German word "lehm," which means "loam" or "clay soil." This could indicate that the original place name "Lehmden" referred to a location known for its rich, fertile soil suitable for agriculture.
One notable figure in history who bore the surname VONLEHMDEN was Johann VONLEHMDEN (1515-1587), a German theologian and reformer who played a crucial role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and contributed to the translation of the Bible into German.
Another individual of note was Katharina VONLEHMDEN (1643-1721), a German painter and engraver who gained recognition for her intricate and detailed works of art during the Baroque period.
In the 18th century, a military officer named Friedrich VONLEHMDEN (1725-1798) served in the Prussian army and fought in the Seven Years' War. His bravery and leadership on the battlefield earned him numerous honors and distinctions.
The name "VONLEHMDEN" also appeared in historical records related to the ownership of land and estates in various parts of Germany throughout the centuries, indicating the family's influence and wealth over time.
One of the most prominent figures with the surname VONLEHMDEN in more recent history was Wilhelm VONLEHMDEN (1848-1919), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded a successful steel manufacturing company in the Ruhr region during the Industrial Revolution.
While the surname "VONLEHMDEN" may not be as common today as it once was, its historical roots and legacy remain deeply embedded in the cultural and social fabric of Germany, particularly in the regions where the name first originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vonlehmden
Among Census respondents with the surname Vonlehmden, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Vonlehmden 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 Vonlehmden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.8% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vonlehmden
Vonlehmden 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+10 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 437 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,484 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 437 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 4,484 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 Vonlehmden 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 | #138,304 | #142,788 | -3.2% |
| Count | 121 | 119 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vonlehmden bearers went from 121 to 119 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 4,484 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #142,788.
FAQ
Vonlehmden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vonlehmden?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Vonlehmden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Vonlehmden?
Vonlehmden 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 Vonlehmden. 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 Vonlehmden.
Has Vonlehmden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vonlehmden went from 121 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Vonlehmden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vonlehmden, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Vonlehmden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.8% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vonlehmden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.8%), Hispanic (3.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Vonlehmden (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 Vonlehmden mean?
A locational German surname referring to someone from a place called Lehmden. 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 Vonlehmden (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 have the surname Vonlehmden?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.