2000
#7,276
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,224
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.57
Rare Last name
Lillie
A diminutive of Elizabeth or a surname derived from the lily flower, symbolizing purity and rebirth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,621 Americans carry the last name Lillie. That puts it at #7,902 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,173 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lillie 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lillie with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 74,173
Census rank
#7,902
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,030 bearers of the surname Lillie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7902nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lillie, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lillie
Among Census respondents with the surname Lillie, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lillie 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 Lillie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.8% · 3,256
- Black or African American9.0% · 362
- Two or more races4.5% · 183
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 141
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 41
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lillie
Lillie 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
#7,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,289
+65 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Down 463 places
2020
#7,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,030
-259 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 163 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,276 | 4,224 | 1.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,739 | 4,289 | 1.45 | +65 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 463 places |
| 2020 | #7,902 | 4,030 | 1.35 | -259 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 163 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 Lillie 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 | #7,739 | #7,902 | -2.1% |
| Count | 4,289 | 4,030 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.45 | 1.35 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lillie bearers went from 4,289 to 4,030 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 163 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,739 to #7,902.
FAQ
Lillie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lillie?
Name Census estimates that about 4,621 living Americans carry the surname Lillie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,173 residents.
How common is Lillie?
Lillie ranks #7,902 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,030 people with the surname Lillie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,621), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lillie.
Has Lillie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lillie went from 4,289 recorded bearers to 4,030. That is a decrease of 259 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,739 to #7,902.
What does the Census say about the background of Lillie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lillie, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lillie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.8% (3,256 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lillie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.8%), Black (9.0%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Lillie (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 Lillie mean?
A diminutive of Elizabeth or a surname derived from the lily flower, symbolizing purity and rebirth. 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 Lillie (1.35 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 many people are called Lillie?
Find out how many people have the surname Lillie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.