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

Lilly, 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 Lilly surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lilly in America

Lilly is the 1580th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lilly surname appeared 22,662 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Lilly.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lilly 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 Lilly

The surname Lilly originated in England, with roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "lilie," meaning the flower lily, which was often used as a nickname for someone of a pure or virtuous nature.

The earliest known record of the Lilly surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1195, where a person named William Lili is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century, likely as a descriptive nickname that later became a hereditary surname.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a Robert Lylye from Oxfordshire, indicating the name's spread across different regions of England during the Middle Ages. The varied spellings, such as Lili, Lylye, and Lillie, reflect the fluid nature of surnames in those times.

One notable early bearer of the Lilly surname was John Lylly (or Lyly), a renowned English writer and playwright from the Elizabethan era, born in 1554 and died in 1606. He was best known for his courtly prose fiction, including the works "Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit" and "Euphues and His England."

Another prominent figure was William Lilly, an English astrologer and occultist born in 1602 and died in 1681. He was one of the most famous astrologers of his time and published several influential works, including "Christian Astrology" and an autobiography titled "William Lilly's History of His Life and Times."

In the late 16th century, the Lilly surname was also associated with the village of Lilley in Hertfordshire, which derived its name from the Old English word "leah," meaning a woodland clearing. This suggests a potential connection between the surname and a place name, a common phenomenon in the development of English surnames.

Other notable bearers of the Lilly surname include Everard Lilly, an English composer and organist from the 17th century, and John Lilly, an American writer and philosopher born in 1915, known for his works on consciousness and human potential.

While the Lilly surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and diaspora, with bearers of the name found in countries such as the United States, Australia, and Canada.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lilly

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

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

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

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