Lill last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Lill

A place name referring to someone from Lill, Germany.

Lill, 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 Lill surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lill in America

Lill is the 22069th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lill surname appeared 1,174 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 Lill.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lill 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 22069 20785 5.99%
Count 1,174 1,181 -0.59%
Proportion per 100k 0.40 0.44 -9.52%

The history of the last name Lill

The surname Lill is believed to have originated in Germany, dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "lill," which means "small" or "little." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or descriptive term for someone of small stature or a younger child.

Lill is also speculated to have connections to various place names in Germany, such as Lille in North Rhine-Westphalia or Lill in Rhineland-Palatinate. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname, as people were often identified by their place of origin or residence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Lill can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Middle Ages. This document, dating back to the 13th century, mentions a person named "Conradus dictus Lill."

Another notable historical figure bearing the surname Lill was Johann Georg Lill, a German composer and organist born in 1733 in Nuremberg. He is renowned for his contributions to sacred music and his compositions for the organ.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Johann Lill (1709-1789) made a significant impact in the field of theology. He served as a professor of theology at the University of Erlangen and authored several influential works on religious subjects.

During the 19th century, a German politician named August Lill (1843-1919) gained recognition for his involvement in the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). He served as a member of the Reichstag, representing the interests of the working class.

Another notable individual with the surname Lill was the German artist and illustrator Karl Lill (1899-1965). He was known for his contributions to the art nouveau movement and his intricate illustrations for books and magazines.

It is worth noting that while the surname Lill may have originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, the historical records and references provided here primarily focus on the earliest known instances and notable figures associated with this surname within the German context.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lill

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

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 Lill was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.04% 1,104
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.77% 9
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.79% 21
Hispanic Origin 2.64% 31

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 Lill has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.04% 95.94% -2.00%
Black 0.77% 0.93% -18.82%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 1.10% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.79% 1.02% 54.80%
Hispanic 2.64% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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"Lill last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/lill-surname-popularity/.

"Lill last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/lill-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Lill last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/lill-surname-popularity/.

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