Explore the Family Name De Lima

The meaning of De Lima

Portuguese: habitational name for someone from any of several places called Lima in Portugal, as for example Ponte de Lima. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Alfredo, Marcos, Carlos, Cesar, Francisco, Josue, Luis, Manuel, Marcelo, Agnaldo, Albertino. Portuguese Joao, Paulo, Vasco.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name De Lima in the United States?

According to data collected from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname De Lima has seen a surge in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 17,627th in terms of prevalence, but by 2010 it had risen to the 13,502nd position, indicating a rise of 23.4%. The number of people bearing the De Lima surname increased significantly during this period as well, going from 1,468 in 2000 to 2,248 in 2010, an increase of over 53%. This resulted in a proportion per 100,000 people increasing from 0.54 to 0.76, a growth rate of about 40.74%.

20002010Change
Rank#17,627#13,50223.4%
Count1,4682,24853.13%
Proportion per 100k0.540.7640.74%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name De Lima

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some interesting shifts for those with the De Lima surname. In 2000, the largest ethnic group was White at 48.23%, which grew to 52.14% by 2010. The Hispanic population also saw a substantial increase, growing by 30.03% from 15.05% in 2000 to 19.57% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander slightly decreased from 15.46% to 15.04%. The most significant decrease was seen among those identifying with two or more races, falling from 17.17% to 7.47%. The Black community within the De Lima surname also grew from 3.75% to 5.16%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native group experienced the highest growth rate of 82.35%, albeit from a small base of 0.34% to 0.62%.

20002010Change
White48.23%52.14%8.11%
Hispanic15.05%19.57%30.03%
Asian/Pacific Islander15.46%15.04%-2.72%
Two or More Races17.17%7.47%-56.49%
Black3.75%5.16%37.6%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.34%0.62%82.35%