Explore the Family Name Lemming

The meaning of Lemming

1. Danish: habitational name from any of several places called Lemming, named with lem, either ‘lamb’ or ‘limb, twig’ + the suffix -ing denoting a place, i.e. ‘the place with the lambs or twigs’. 2. German: from a pet form of Lambert, see Lemme.

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

How common is the last name Lemming in the United States?

Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Lemming has seen a slight decline. In 2000, the Lemming surname ranked at 45,909, but by 2010, it had dropped to 49,636, showing an 8.12% decrease in its rank. The count of people with the surname also exhibited a small reduction from 438 in 2000 to 423 in 2010, indicating a 3.42% decrease. Consequently, the proportion of this surname per 100,000 people fell by 12.5% over the decade.

20002010Change
Rank#45,909#49,636-8.12%
Count438423-3.42%
Proportion per 100k0.160.14-12.5%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lemming

In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority of individuals bearing the Lemming surname identified as White, accounting for 95.66% in 2000 and slightly reducing to 94.80% by 2010. Interestingly, there was a notable increase in those identifying as Hispanic, going from 1.60% in 2000 to 2.60% in 2010. However, the percentage of Lemming individuals identifying as two or more races was 1.37% in 2000 and dropped to zero by 2010. The proportions for Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native remained unchanged and stood at zero for both census years.

20002010Change
White95.66%94.8%-0.9%
Hispanic1.6%2.6%62.5%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races1.37%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%