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Lem
How to Pronounce Lem
Pronounced LEM /ΛlΙm/Medium
Meaning: Lem is the everyday short form of Lemuel, a Hebrew name from the Book of Proverbs meaning 'devoted to God' or 'belonging to God'. Lem inherits that biblical meaning as a plain, folksy diminutive.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Lem is the homespun short form of Lemuel, a Hebrew name borne by a king addressed in Proverbs and meaning 'devoted to God'. Given as a legal name to many boys in the nineteenth-century South and frontier, Lem sat alongside Gus, Abe and Zeke as a plain, sturdy diminutive.
It was already old-fashioned by the early twentieth century, peaking in the late nineteen-teens and dwindling to rarity after mid-century. Anyone named Lem belongs to a great-grandfather's generation, and the name has not returned in the current antique revival.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Lem mean?
Lem is a short form of Lemuel, a Hebrew biblical name meaning 'devoted to God' or 'belonging to God'.
How do you pronounce Lem?
It's said LEM /ΛlΙm/ - one syllable.
Is Lem a boy or girl name?
Lem is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Lem?
Lem was a familiar nickname-name in the late eighteen-hundreds and had faded to rarity by the nineteen-eighties.