2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Luly
A French surname derived from the French word "lulle", meaning a pebble or small stone.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Luly. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Luly 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.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Luly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Luly, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.6%. The next largest groups are Black (27.4%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Luly
The surname LULY has its origins in France, specifically in the northern region of Normandy, and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "loulu," which means "small wolf" or "little wolf cub."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LULY is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Loulou," which was likely a variant spelling or a diminutive form of LULY.
During the Middle Ages, the name LULY was associated with several notable individuals. In the 13th century, a knight named Raoul LULY fought alongside King Louis IX during the Seventh Crusade (1248-1254). Records from the time mention his bravery and loyalty on the battlefield.
In the 14th century, a French scholar and theologian named Jean LULY (c. 1310-1375) gained recognition for his writings on religious philosophy and his contributions to the University of Paris. His influential works explored the intersection of faith and reason.
The LULY surname also has ties to the region of Burgundy, where a family of winemakers bearing this name established themselves in the 16th century. One of the most renowned members was Claude LULY (1530-1602), whose vineyards produced some of the finest wines in the region during the Renaissance period.
Moving into the 17th century, a notable figure was Pierre LULY (1615-1687), a French dramatist and playwright who wrote several successful comedies and tragedies that were performed at the famous Comédie-Française theater in Paris.
Another prominent individual bearing the LULY surname was Marie-Anne LULY (1737-1801), a French noblewoman and influential salonnière who hosted a popular literary salon in Paris during the Enlightenment era. Her salon attracted many of the era's leading philosophers, writers, and artists.
Over the centuries, the LULY surname has been associated with various place names and older spellings, including Loulou, Loulley, and Loulier, which were likely regional variations or derivations of the original name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Luly
Among Census respondents with the surname Luly, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.6%. The next largest groups are Black (27.4%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Luly 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 Luly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.6% · 73
- Black or African American27.4% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Luly
Luly appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Up 5,407 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 Luly 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 | #152,628 | #147,221 | 3.5% |
| Count | 107 | 113 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Luly bearers went from 107 to 113 (+5.6% change). The surname moved up 5,407 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #147,221.
FAQ
Luly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Luly?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Luly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Luly?
Luly ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Luly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Luly.
Has Luly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Luly went from 107 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 6 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Luly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Luly, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.6%. The next largest groups are Black (27.4%) and Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Luly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.6% (73 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Luly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.6%), Black (27.4%), Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Luly (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 Luly mean?
A French surname derived from the French word "lulle", meaning a pebble or small stone. 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 Luly (0.04 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 have the surname Luly?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.