2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lidey
A variant spelling of the English surname Liddy, possibly derived from a nickname for Leonard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Lidey. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lidey surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Lidey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lidey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lidey
The surname Lidey is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place called "Lydey" or a similar variation, though the exact location is uncertain. Some records suggest it may have come from a small village or hamlet in one of the southern counties such as Dorset or Hampshire.
Early spellings of the name included Lydey, Lydye, and Liddie. These variations point to its potential origins from Old English words like "lyd" meaning a gate or opening, or "liden" meaning to travel or go. This could indicate the name referred to someone living near a gate or path.
One of the earliest known references to the Lidey name comes from the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded landowners and tenants in various counties. An entry listed a "Willelmus de Lydye" as holding lands in Somerset. This provides evidence the surname existed by the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, the Poll Tax returns of 1379 listed a "Johannes Lydey" in Gloucestershire. The Lidey spelling also appeared in Sussex in 1449 when a "Thomas Lidey" was recorded in historical documents. These examples demonstrate the name's use across southern England during the medieval and early modern periods.
Notable individuals with the Lidey surname include William Lidey (c.1520-1589), an English composer and organist during the Renaissance era. He served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal under Queen Elizabeth I. Another early bearer was John Lidey (c.1635-1703), a prosperous merchant and landowner in Kent.
During the 17th century, the name spread further with Richard Lidey (1657-1733) becoming a prominent lawyer and judge in London. His grandson, also named Richard Lidey (1692-1768), achieved distinction as a clergyman and academic at Oxford University.
In the 19th century, Captain Henry Lidey (1815-1891) made a name for himself as an explorer and writer, publishing accounts of his travels in Africa and the Middle East. These individuals, spanning several centuries, illustrate the long history and varied accomplishments of those bearing the Lidey surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lidey
Among Census respondents with the surname Lidey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lidey bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lidey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 90
- Two or more races5.7% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- Black or African American3.8% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lidey
Lidey appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,591 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-6 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,642 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,591 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 4,642 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lidey surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #148,347 | #152,989 | -3.1% |
| Count | 111 | 105 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lidey bearers went from 111 to 105 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 4,642 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #152,989.
FAQ
Lidey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lidey?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Lidey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Lidey?
Lidey ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Lidey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lidey.
Has Lidey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lidey went from 111 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Lidey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lidey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Hispanic (4.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lidey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lidey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Two or More Races (5.7%), Hispanic (4.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lidey (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lidey mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Liddy, possibly derived from a nickname for Leonard. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lidey (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Lidey?
Want to know how many people have the last name Lidey? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.