limeño

Limeño is the demonym for a resident of Lima, the capital and largest city of Peru. The masculine form is limeño and the feminine limeña. It can be used as a noun to designate a person from Lima or as an adjective to describe things related to Lima, such as limeño cuisine or limeño culture.

The term derives from the city’s name, Lima, with the Spanish suffix -eño. In everyday usage, limeño can refer to people from the city proper as well as from the broader Lima metropolitan area or, in some contexts, the Lima Region. The nuance of the demonym may vary by speaker and context.

Culturally, limeños are associated with urban life in Peru’s political and economic center. Lima has a long colonial heritage, visible in its historic center, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 for its architectural ensemble. The local identity is also linked to a distinctive culinary tradition known as comida limeña, which encompasses dishes such as ceviche, causa, and anticuchos, reflecting a fusion of Indigenous, Spanish, African, and Asian influences.

Limeño identity appears in Peruvian literature, media, and everyday speech as a marker of belonging to Lima’s urban culture. The term is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, signaling origins tied to Peru’s capital and its associated cultural profile.