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

Lillie, 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 Lillie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lillie in America

Lillie is the 7739th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lillie surname appeared 4,289 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Lillie.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lillie 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 Lillie

The surname Lillie has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "lilie," meaning lily or the lily flower. The name was likely initially given as a nickname or descriptive name to someone who lived near a place where lilies grew in abundance or someone who had a particular fondness for the flower.

In medieval England, surnames were often derived from occupations, locations, physical traits, or personal characteristics. The earliest recorded instance of the Lillie surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which was a census-like record of landowners in England during the reign of King Edward I. The entry lists a Willelmus Lilie residing in Buckinghamshire.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Lillie surname was most prevalent in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. Variations in spelling were common in those times, and the name appeared as Lilie, Lylye, and Lylie in various historical records.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the Lillie surname was Sir Peter Lillie (c. 1475-1543), a prominent English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1534. He was also a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, one of the oldest livery companies in the City of London.

Another significant figure was George Lillie (1638-1687), a Scottish writer, and poet who is best known for his satirical works critiquing the court of King Charles II. His most famous work, "The Husbandman's Manual," was published in 1677.

In the 18th century, James Lillie (1728-1798) was a Scottish-born British army officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. He is particularly notable for his role in the Battle of Freeman's Farm during the Saratoga Campaign, where he was captured by American forces.

John Lillie (1806-1867) was a prominent British architect and civil engineer in the 19th century. He is best known for his work on the design and construction of several notable bridges, including the Tynemouth Pier and the Sunderland Bridge over the River Wear.

Finally, Sir Ralph Lillie (1856-1924) was a British civil servant and administrator who served as the Governor of Mauritius from 1911 to 1916. He was knighted in 1911 for his services to the British Empire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lillie

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

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

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

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