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

Lyles, 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 Lyles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lyles in America

Lyles is the 2265th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lyles surname appeared 16,062 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Lyles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lyles 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 Lyles

The surname Lyles has its origins in England, tracing back to the early medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a meadow or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Lele." This entry refers to a landowner in the county of Warwickshire. Over time, the spelling evolved into various forms, such as Lele, Leyle, Leyles, and eventually Lyles.

In the 13th century, the name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire. This is evidenced by records from that time, which mention individuals with the name Lyles or similar variations.

One notable figure bearing the surname Lyles was John Lyles (c. 1420-1490), a prominent merchant and landowner from Worcestershire. He played a significant role in the local economy and is mentioned in several historical documents from the 15th century.

During the 16th century, the name Lyles began to spread beyond its traditional heartland in the West Midlands region. This was likely due to migration and the expansion of trade and commerce. One example from this period is William Lyles (c. 1550-1620), a successful merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol.

In the 17th century, the name Lyles gained further prominence with the rise of Sir Edward Lyles (1619-1688), a respected lawyer and Member of Parliament for the borough of Ludlow in Shropshire. He was known for his involvement in the English Civil War and his support for the Parliamentary cause.

Another notable figure from this era was Mary Lyles (c. 1640-1710), a renowned herbalist and apothecary from Gloucestershire. Her knowledge of medicinal plants and remedies was widely sought after, and she is mentioned in several contemporary accounts.

As the name Lyles continued to spread across England, it also found its way to other parts of the British Isles and, eventually, to the colonies in North America and other parts of the world. This migration contributed to the further diversification of the name and its various spellings.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lyles

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

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

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

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