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

Lyke, 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 Lyke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lyke in America

Lyke is the 18054th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lyke surname appeared 1,545 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Lyke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lyke 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 Lyke

The surname LYKE has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "lyk," meaning a body or corpse. This could indicate that the name may have been used to identify individuals who worked in roles related to burials, such as gravediggers or undertakers.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the LYKE surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1166. This document references a person named Ricardus Lyke, suggesting the surname's presence in northern England during that period.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Lik, Lyk, and Lyke. This variation in spelling was common during that time, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.

The LYKE surname has been documented in several historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a John Lyke. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327 also include references to individuals with the LYKE surname.

Notably, the name LYKE appears in the famous Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name had already been established in England by the late 11th century.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the LYKE surname. One example is Sir Nicholas Lyke (c. 1480-1545), a prominent English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. Another figure is John Lyke (c. 1555-1612), an English clergyman and author who served as a canon at Windsor Castle.

Other notable individuals with the LYKE surname include William Lyke (1597-1668), an English merchant and adventurer who was involved in the early colonization efforts in Virginia; Robert Lyke (1647-1721), a wealthy landowner and Justice of the Peace in Yorkshire; and Elizabeth Lyke (1670-1736), a prominent Quaker preacher and author from Pennsylvania.

While the LYKE surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration and migration. The name has been associated with various places and regions, such as the village of Lyke in Yorkshire, which may have contributed to the surname's origin or served as a place of residence for early bearers of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lyke

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

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

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

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