2000
#706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 44,385
First available Census row
Per 100,000 16.45
Uncommon Last name
Lam
A Chinese surname meaning "forest" or "woods," or referring to someone living near or working in such areas.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 68,540 Americans carry the last name Lam. That puts it at #555 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 20.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,001 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lam 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 Lam with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
69K
1 in 5,001
Census rank
#555
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
20.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
60K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 59,770 bearers of the surname Lam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 20.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 555th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lam
The surname Lam is believed to have originated in England, with its roots traced back to the Old English word "lamb," which means a young sheep or lamb. The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273 as "William le Lam."
In medieval times, surnames were often derived from occupations, personal characteristics, or places of origin. The surname Lam may have been initially given to someone who worked with lambs or sheep, or it could have been a descriptive name referring to someone who was considered gentle or meek, like a lamb.
The name Lam has also been found in various historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1199, where it appears as "Walterus Lambe." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
One notable historical figure with the surname Lam was John Lambe (c. 1450-1537), an English priest and theologian who served as the Dean of the Arches and Master of the Chancery. Another prominent individual was John Lambe (1628-1708), an English Presbyterian minister and author who wrote several religious works.
In Scotland, the surname Lam can be traced back to the 16th century, with records showing a John Lam in Perthshire in 1579. The name was also found in the Orkney Islands, where a Robert Lam was recorded in 1612.
The surname Lam has also been associated with place names, such as Lambeth in London, which was originally recorded as "Lam-hythe" in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, meaning "landing place for lambs."
Other notable individuals with the surname Lam include:
1. Walter Lamb (1825-1888), an English architect and designer, known for his work on the Holborn Viaduct in London.
2. Sir Horace Lam (1892-1973), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Hong Kong from 1947 to 1952.
3. Willy Lam (born 1952), a Hong Kong-based author and political commentator, known for his writings on Chinese politics and leadership.
4. David Lam (1923-2010), a Canadian businessman and philanthropist, who served as the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 1988 to 1995.
5. Stanley Lam (born 1975), a Hong Kong actor and singer, known for his roles in various television series and films.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lam
Among Census respondents with the surname Lam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lam 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 Lam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.8% · 52,471
- White6.2% · 3,702
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 1,666
- Two or more races2.5% · 1,508
- Black or African American0.7% · 407
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lam
Lam 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
#611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 55,554
+11,169 bearers (+25.2%)
Per 100,000 18.83
Rank movement Up 95 places
2020
#555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 59,770
+4,216 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 20.00
Rank movement Up 56 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #706 | 44,385 | 16.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #611 | 55,554 | 18.83 | +11,169 bearers (+25.2%) | Up 95 places |
| 2020 | #555 | 59,770 | 20.00 | +4,216 bearers (+7.6%) | Up 56 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 Lam 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 | #611 | #555 | 9.2% |
| Count | 55,554 | 59,770 | 7.6% |
| Per 100K | 18.83 | 20.00 | 6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lam bearers went from 55,554 to 59,770 (+7.6% change). The surname moved up 56 positions in the national ranking, going from #611 to #555.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lam
FAQ
Lam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lam?
Name Census estimates that about 68,540 living Americans carry the surname Lam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,001 residents.
How common is Lam?
Lam ranks #555 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 20.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 20 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 59,770 people with the surname Lam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (68,540), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 20 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 20.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 20 of them to have the surname Lam.
Has Lam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lam went from 55,554 recorded bearers to 59,770. That is an increase of 4,216 (+7.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #611 to #555.
What does the Census say about the background of Lam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (52,471 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.8%), White (6.2%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Lam (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 Lam mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "forest" or "woods," or referring to someone living near or working in such areas. 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 Lam (20.00 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 share the surname Lam?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.