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

Lily, 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 Lily surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lily in America

Lily is the 53913th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lily surname appeared 383 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 Lily.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lily 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 Lily

The surname LILY is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "lilie," which itself stems from the Latin "lilium," meaning lily flower. The name likely originated as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near a place abundant with lilies or worked with the flowers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the LILY surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire in 1195, where a William Lili is mentioned. The surname also surfaces in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, referring to a Hugo Lili. These early appearances indicate that LILY was an established surname in various parts of England by the late medieval period.

The LILY name can be found in several historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a John Lili. In the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1381, a Thomas Lyly is recorded, showcasing the variations in spelling that were common during that era.

Noteworthy individuals bearing the LILY surname throughout history include John Lyly (1554-1606), an English playwright and courtier during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. His works, such as "Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit" and "Endymion, the Man in the Moon," were highly influential in shaping the English Renaissance literary style.

Another prominent figure was William Lily (1468-1522), an English Renaissance grammarian and scholar. He is best known for his influential Latin grammar textbook, "A Short Introduction of Grammar," which was widely used in English schools for centuries.

The LILY surname also has connections to place names, such as Lily Hill in Berkshire, England, and Lily Village in Gloucestershire, both of which likely derived their names from the abundance of lilies in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the LILY surname include Sir Charles Samuel Lily (1826-1909), a British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, and William Samuel Lily (1840-1904), an English explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of Japanese flora and fauna.

While the LILY surname may have evolved from humble beginnings as a descriptive name for those associated with the lily flower, it has since been borne by individuals who have made lasting contributions to various fields, including literature, education, architecture, and exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lily

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

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

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

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