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

Lyche, 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 Lyche surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lyche in America

Lyche is the 158432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lyche surname appeared 102 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 Lyche.

The history of the last name Lyche

The surname Lyche originated in England during the early medieval period, derived from the Old English word "lic" meaning a body or corpse. This name likely referred to an occupation or trade related to burial or handling the deceased.

The earliest recorded instances of the Lyche surname can be traced back to the late 12th century in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a Johannes le Lyche residing in Oxfordshire. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 list a Ricardus Lyche among the county's taxpayers.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, variations of the spelling included Liche, Lyche, Litche, and Lytche. These different forms reflected regional dialects and scribal variations in record keeping. The name was also associated with certain place names, such as Lichfield in Staffordshire, which was derived from the Old English "Lice" meaning a body or corpse.

Notable historical figures bearing the Lyche surname include Sir William Lyche (c.1375-1446), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Worcestershire. Another was Richard Lyche (c.1480-1554), a Catholic priest and one of the last abbots of the Evesham Abbey in Worcestershire before the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII.

In the 16th century, John Lyche (c.1500-1572) was a respected clergyman who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1554 to 1559. During the reign of Elizabeth I, Thomas Lyche (c.1530-1607) was a member of the Queen's bodyguard and later held the position of Sheriff of Staffordshire.

Another notable figure was William Lyche (c.1595-1669), a wealthy merchant and landowner who served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1652. He played a significant role in the city's trade and economic affairs during the English Civil War period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lyche

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

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 Lyche 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.

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

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

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