Find out how popular the last name Lelis is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Lelis.

Lelis, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Lelis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lelis in America

Lelis is the 106096th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lelis surname appeared 168 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Lelis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lelis to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Lelis

The surname LELIS has its origins in Spain, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "lelis," which means "lily." The name was likely given to someone who lived near a field of lilies or was associated with the flower in some way.

In the early records of Spain, the name appears with various spellings, such as Lelis, Lelez, and Leles. One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Catalonian records of 1272, where a certain Juan Lelis was mentioned as a landowner in the region of Barcelona.

As the years passed, the name spread to other parts of Spain and eventually to the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One notable bearer of the surname was Pedro Lelis, a Spanish explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century.

In the 17th century, the LELIS surname gained prominence in the region of Andalusia, where several members of the family held positions of importance in local government and church affairs. One such individual was Diego Lelis de Velasco, who served as the mayor of Seville in 1673.

As the Spanish Empire expanded its reach, the LELIS name traveled across the Atlantic to the New World. In the 18th century, a prominent figure bearing this surname was Juan Lelis de la Fuente, a wealthy landowner and cattle rancher in the region of Nuevo León, Mexico.

Another notable bearer of the LELIS surname was María Lelis de Churruca, a Spanish noblewoman who lived in the late 18th century and was known for her philanthropic work and support of the arts.

Over the centuries, the LELIS surname has remained a part of the Spanish and Latin American cultural heritage, with many individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields, including literature, art, and politics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lelis

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Lelis.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Lelis was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Lelis has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Lelis was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lelis, please contact us.

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