Lyon
A masculine name of French origin derived from the Latin leo, meaning "lion".
Name Census estimates that about 894 living Americans carry the first name Lyon. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lyon today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lyon births was 2024 (84 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lyon. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
894
~ 1 in 383,394 Americans
Peak year
2024
84 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,897
Tracked since 1947
Popularity
Lyon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lyon from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 372 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lyon by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Lyon during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lyons live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Florida, Texas recorded the most babies named Lyon, while Georgia, New York, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 52 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lyon
The name Lyon has its origins in the French language, derived from the Latin name Leo, meaning "lion." It has been in use since ancient times and has a rich history that spans across various cultures and time periods.
The name Lyon is closely tied to the city of Lyon in eastern France, which was founded as a Roman colony in 43 BC under the name Colonia Copia Claudia Augusta Lugdunum. The city's name is believed to come from the Celtic word "Lug," meaning "hill" or "high ground," and "dunum," meaning "fortress" or "town."
In Greek mythology, the name Lyon has connections to the mythical creature known as the Nemean Lion, a ferocious beast that terrorized the region of Nemea. This lion was eventually slain by the Greek hero Heracles (Hercules in Roman mythology) as part of his Twelve Labors.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lyon can be found in the Bible's Book of Genesis, where it is mentioned as the name of one of the sons of Gad. In the New Testament, there is a reference to a woman named Lydia, whose name is derived from the same root as Lyon.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Lyon. One of the earliest examples is Lyon Gardiner Tyler (1853-1935), a historian, and the son of the 10th President of the United States, John Tyler. Another prominent figure was Lyon Playfair (1818-1898), a British chemist and politician who served as the Postmaster General of the United Kingdom.
In the realm of literature, Lyon Sprague de Camp (1907-2000) was an American author and biographer known for his works in the science fiction and fantasy genres. Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. (1924-1935), the grandson of President John Tyler, was a notable historian and author who specialized in the history of the American Civil War.
Finally, Lyon Richardson (1838-1892) was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War and later served as the United States Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have carried the name Lyon, a name with a rich cultural heritage and connections to ancient mythology, biblical texts, and various historical figures across different fields and professions.
People
Lyon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lyon as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lyon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lyon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 894 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lyon going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 383,394 US residents.
Is Lyon a common name?
We classify Lyon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 908 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lyon most popular?
The single biggest year for Lyon was 2024, when 84 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lyon is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lyon a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lyon in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.