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

Lilley, 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 Lilley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lilley in America

Lilley is the 4557th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lilley surname appeared 7,780 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Lilley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lilley 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 Lilley

The surname Lilley is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "le" meaning a meadow or clearing and "leah" meaning a wood or grove. It is thought to have originated as a place name referring to a meadow within a grove or forest clearing.

Lilley is an ancient name, with records dating back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Lillai" and "Lillea". The earliest known bearer of the name was Radulfus de Lillai, recorded in Wiltshire, England in 1148.

Over the centuries, the name has been spelled in various ways, including Lilley, Lilly, Lillie, Lylly, and Lyly. The different spellings reflect regional dialects and changes in pronunciation over time.

One notable bearer of the name was John Lyly (c. 1554-1606), an English playwright, poet, and courtier during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He is best known for his novel "Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit" and his plays, which are considered some of the earliest examples of English prose fiction.

Another notable figure was Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680), a Dutch painter who worked in England during the 17th century. His real name was Pieter van der Faes, but he adopted the name Lely after the town of Lille in the Netherlands, where he was born.

In the 18th century, James Lilly (1737-1804) was a noted English engraver and print publisher, known for his work on maps and topographical prints.

The Lilley family also has connections to the American colonies. John Lilley (1663-1719) was an early settler in Pennsylvania, arriving in the late 17th century.

Another notable bearer of the name was William Lilley (1817-1863), an English cricketer who played for Surrey and is considered one of the earliest professional cricketers.

While the name Lilley has its roots in England, it has spread across the English-speaking world and can be found in many countries today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lilley

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

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

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

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