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

Lights, 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 Lights surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lights in America

Lights is the 147253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lights surname appeared 112 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 Lights.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lights 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 Lights

The surname LIGHTS originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "leoht," meaning "light" or "bright." It was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with fair hair or a bright complexion, or perhaps even as an occupational name for a person involved in the production or maintenance of lights or lamps.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the LIGHTS surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like survey conducted in England in 1273, which mentions a "William le Lyghte." This spelling variation, "le Lyghte," reflects the Norman-French influence on English surnames during this period.

The LIGHTS surname also appears in various historical records from the 13th to the 16th centuries, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire (1327), where a "John Lyghte" is listed, and the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire (1524), which mentions a "Thomas Lighte."

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname LIGHTS became more prevalent, with notable individuals bearing this name including John Lights (c.1570-1647), an English churchman and theologian who served as the Dean of Peterborough Cathedral from 1638 until his death.

In the 18th century, Francis Lights (1719-1794) was a prominent English engraver and printseller, known for his topographical and architectural engravings. His work documented various buildings and landscapes across England during this period.

The 19th century saw the birth of Edward Lights (1835-1908), a British businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the city of Liverpool, including the construction of the Lights Building, which still stands today.

Another notable figure from this era was Mary Lights (1853-1924), a British novelist and children's author who wrote under the pen name "Mrs. Molesworth." Her works, such as "The Cuckoo Clock" and "Carrots: Just a Little Boy," were widely popular during the Victorian era.

As the LIGHTS surname spread throughout the British Isles and beyond, it also evolved into various spellings, such as Light, Lyte, and Lyght, reflecting regional variations and phonetic adaptations over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lights

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

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 Lights 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 Lights 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 Lights was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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