Fun Facts About the Name Lema
- 380 babies named Lema: U.S. records list 380 babies given the name Lema from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Lema Mean?
Lema is a personal name whose meaning is not securely documented. It is spelled exactly like the Spanish and Portuguese word lema, "motto" or "slogan," which descends from Latin lemma, borrowed from Greek lēmma, "premise, assumption" (from lambanein, "to take"). That word history belongs to the common noun, and nothing in the name itself shows that bearers of the personal name took it from that noun.
Lema is also found as a surname in Italy and in Spain and Latin America. Because the given name and the surname have the same form, more than one explanation is possible, and the name's spelling alone does not settle which one applies.
Lema Name History & Origins
Lema is documented mainly as a family name, used in Italy and in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries; as a given name it is uncommon and is not tied to one clearly defined naming tradition. No older form of the given name can be traced with confidence from the evidence available.
The word behind the spelling has a clear line of descent: Greek lēmma to Latin lemma to Spanish and Portuguese lema, where it settled into the sense "motto, slogan." That line of descent explains the vocabulary word and should not be read as the origin of the personal name.
How Popular is the Name Lema?
Lema has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1915. Its best rank was #1,168 in 1895.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,623 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #11,790 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #14,487 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #16,493 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #13,728 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #18,129 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #16,056 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #16,376 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #13,378 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1949 | #4,990 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1948 | #5,651 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1940 | #4,124 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1938 | #4,686 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1936 | #3,566 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1934 | #3,648 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1932 | #3,446 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1931 | #3,112 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1929 | #4,347 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1928 | #3,993 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1927 | #3,435 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1925 | #3,250 | 10 | 0.0008% |
| 1924 | #3,264 | 10 | 0.0008% |
| 1923 | #2,322 | 16 | 0.0013% |
| 1922 | #3,530 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1921 | #2,711 | 13 | 0.0011% |
| 1920 | #2,671 | 13 | 0.0011% |
| 1919 | #2,447 | 14 | 0.0012% |
| 1918 | #2,247 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1917 | #2,262 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1916 | #4,810 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1915 | #1,921 | 17 | 0.0017% |
| 1914 | #2,351 | 10 | 0.0013% |
| 1913 | #1,837 | 12 | 0.0019% |
| 1912 | #1,785 | 11 | 0.0020% |
| 1911 | #1,723 | 9 | 0.0022% |
| 1908 | #1,769 | 7 | 0.0021% |
| 1907 | #1,730 | 7 | 0.0022% |
| 1905 | #1,617 | 7 | 0.0024% |
| 1904 | #1,776 | 6 | 0.0022% |
| 1900 | #1,837 | 6 | 0.0020% |
| 1899 | #1,508 | 6 | 0.0026% |
| 1898 | #1,321 | 8 | 0.0031% |
| 1897 | #1,675 | 5 | 0.0021% |
| 1895 | #1,168 | 9 | 0.0039% |
| 1890 | #1,280 | 6 | 0.0032% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Lema Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You always bring to completion anything you start. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. You have an executive ability, you are a leader. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. You always think before you act. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Lema's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Lema's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.