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

Lyas, 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 Lyas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lyas in America

Lyas is the 127494th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lyas surname appeared 134 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 Lyas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lyas 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 Lyas

The surname Lyas is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old English word "leah," which means a woodland clearing or meadow. The name may have been initially used to identify someone who lived near or worked in such a clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Lyas can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the 13th century, where a person named Robert de Lyas is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the northern regions of England by that time.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Lyas, Lyes, and Lyasse, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that era. The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273 list a certain William Lyes, indicating the presence of the name in the eastern part of the country as well.

The Lyas surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Lyas Green in Lancashire and Lyas Farm in Derbyshire. These locations may have been named after individuals bearing the Lyas surname or vice versa, reflecting the close ties between surnames and geographic locations in medieval times.

One notable historical figure with the surname Lyas was John Lyas (c. 1570-1631), an English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I. His contributions to sacred music and organ compositions were significant during the Renaissance period.

Another individual of note was Elizabeth Lyas (1694-1774), a British philanthropist and benefactor who donated substantial sums of money to support education and charitable causes in her hometown of Nottingham.

In the 18th century, William Lyas (1729-1799) was a prominent English clockmaker and inventor, known for his innovative clock designs and contributions to the field of horology.

The Lyas surname also has ties to the military, with Captain John Lyas (1812-1876) serving in the British Army during the Crimean War and later becoming a member of the prestigious Order of the Bath.

Finally, John Lyas (1877-1955) was a prominent English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club and captained the team for several seasons in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lyas

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

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

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

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