2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lights
A surname derived from a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a prominent light source.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Lights. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lights 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Lights in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lights, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.1%. The next largest groups are White (11.9%) and Hispanic (6.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lights
Among Census respondents with the surname Lights, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.1%. The next largest groups are White (11.9%) and Hispanic (6.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Lights 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 Lights surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American77.1% · 84
- White11.9% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 7
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lights
Lights 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-12 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,067 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,952 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 20,067 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 2,952 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 Lights 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 | #147,253 | #150,205 | -2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 109 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lights bearers went from 112 to 109 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 2,952 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #150,205.
FAQ
Lights surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lights?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Lights. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Lights?
Lights ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Lights. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Lights.
Has Lights become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lights went from 112 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Lights?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lights, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.1%. The next largest groups are White (11.9%) and Hispanic (6.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lights in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.1% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lights appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (77.1%), White (11.9%), Hispanic (6.4%). 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 Lights (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 Lights mean?
A surname derived from a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a prominent light source. 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 Lights (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 common is the surname Lights?
You can see how many people are called Lights on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.