NameCensus.

UK surname

Lema

A Spanish surname derived from the Old Spanish word "leme," meaning a rudder or tiller of a boat.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Windsor and Maidenhead, Brent and Bournemouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lema is 105 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

105

2016, ranked #30,114

Peak year

2016

105 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016, ranked #30,114.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 9 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Lema surname distribution map

The map shows where the Lema surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Lema surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lema over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 6 #32,278
1861 historical 9 #32,724
1891 historical 9 #33,451
1911 historical 1 #34,332
1997 modern 46 #33,077
1998 modern 41 #33,747
1999 modern 45 #33,511
2000 modern 41 #33,889
2001 modern 40 #33,842
2002 modern 47 #33,548
2003 modern 53 #33,076
2004 modern 60 #32,684
2005 modern 64 #32,482
2006 modern 72 #32,059
2007 modern 75 #32,079
2008 modern 81 #31,713
2009 modern 93 #30,682
2010 modern 100 #30,225
2011 modern 102 #29,759
2012 modern 94 #31,258
2013 modern 101 #30,591
2014 modern 102 #30,714
2015 modern 104 #30,269
2016 modern 105 #30,114

Geography

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Where Lemas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Windsor and Maidenhead, Brent, Bournemouth and Spelthorne. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Windsor and Maidenhead 013 Windsor and Maidenhead
2 Brent 014 Brent
3 Bournemouth 013 Bournemouth
4 Spelthorne 005 Spelthorne
5 Brent 028 Brent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lema

These lists show first names that appear often with the Lema surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lema

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Lema, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Lema surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Lema household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Lema is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lema is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lema falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lema is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Lema, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Lema

The surname Lema has its origins in Spain and the Basque region. It is believed to be derived from the Basque word "lema", which means "summit" or "peak". This suggests that the name may have initially been a topographic name, given to someone who lived near a prominent hill or mountain.

The earliest recorded instances of the Lema surname date back to the 15th century in the Basque provinces of Spain. One notable example is Rodrigo Lema, a merchant from Vizcaya who was mentioned in local records from the year 1482. The name also appears in the census records of the town of Lekeitio in 1511, where several Lema families were documented.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, as the Spanish Empire expanded across the Americas, some individuals bearing the Lema surname migrated to the New World. One such individual was Juan Lema, a Spanish soldier who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro in the 1530s.

In the 18th century, the Lema surname can be found in various parts of Spain, particularly in the Basque region and the neighboring provinces. One notable bearer of the name was Ignacio Lema, a Basque philosopher and theologian who lived from 1712 to 1785 and authored several works on ethics and moral philosophy.

As the Lema surname spread beyond its Basque origins, it also took on variations in spelling, such as Lema, Lemas, and Lemma. One prominent individual with the latter spelling was Carl Samuel Lemma, a Swedish botanist and explorer who lived from 1785 to 1849 and made significant contributions to the study of plant life in South America.

Other notable individuals with the Lema surname include Manuel Lema, a Spanish military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Order of Santiago in 1815, and Juana Lema, a 19th-century Ecuadorian poet and activist who campaigned for women's rights and education in her home country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Lema surname: questions and answers

How common is the Lema surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016. That gives Lema a modern rank of #30,114.

What does the Lema surname mean?

A Spanish surname derived from the Old Spanish word "leme," meaning a rudder or tiller of a boat.

What does the Lema map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Lema bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.