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

Lydia, 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 Lydia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lydia in America

Lydia is the 60636th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lydia surname appeared 332 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 Lydia.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lydia 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 Lydia

The surname Lydia is derived from the ancient region of Lydia, which was located in western Anatolia, modern-day Turkey. The name is thought to have originated from the Lydian language, which was spoken in the region during the 1st millennium BC.

Lydia was a powerful kingdom in the 7th century BC, known for its wealth and cultural achievements. The region was renowned for its production of purple dye, which was highly prized in the ancient world. The Lydians were also credited with the invention of coinage and the first known minting of gold and silver coins.

The earliest recorded use of the name Lydia can be traced back to ancient Greek texts, where it was used to refer to the region and its people. In the 5th century BC, Herodotus, the famous Greek historian, wrote extensively about the Lydian kingdom and its last king, Croesus, who was known for his immense wealth.

During the Middle Ages, the name Lydia remained relatively uncommon in Europe. However, it gained popularity in the Renaissance period, particularly in Italy, where it was used as a given name for women. One notable bearer of the surname Lydia was Lidia Poët (1805-1853), an Italian painter and sculptor from Turin.

In the 19th century, the surname Lydia became more widespread in various parts of Europe and the Americas. One notable figure was Lydia Becker (1827-1890), a British suffragist and leader of the women's suffrage movement in Manchester, England.

Another significant individual with the surname Lydia was Lydia Maria Child (1802-1880), an American abolitionist, women's rights activist, and author. Her literary works, including the novel "Hobomok" and the book "An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans," played a crucial role in the anti-slavery movement.

In the 20th century, Lydia Mendoza (1916-2007) was a renowned Mexican-American singer and songwriter, known as the "La Alondra de la Frontera" (The Lark of the Border). She was a pioneer of Tejano music and recorded numerous albums throughout her career.

Additionally, Lydia Shum (1945-2008) was a Hong Kong actress and singer who gained widespread popularity in the 1960s and 1970s. She was known for her roles in numerous Cantonese films and television series.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lydia

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

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

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

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