2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lyras
A surname likely derived from the Greek word "lyra" referring to a lyre or harp.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Lyras. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lyras surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Lyras in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lyras, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lyras
The surname LYRAS is of Greek origin and can be traced back to the medieval period in Greece. It is derived from the Greek word "lyra," which means "lyre," referring to the ancient stringed musical instrument. The name likely originated from a profession or association with the lyre, such as a lyre maker or player.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LYRAS appears in a 14th-century manuscript from the Byzantine Empire, which mentions a certain Georgios LYRAS, a renowned lyre player at the court of the emperor. This suggests that the name had already gained recognition by that time.
During the Ottoman rule in Greece, the name LYRAS can be found in various regional records, particularly in areas known for their rich musical traditions, such as the Peloponnese region and the islands of the Aegean Sea. It is possible that some families bearing this surname were involved in the preservation and transmission of traditional Greek music and folk songs.
In the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname LYRAS was Ioannis LYRAS (1705-1783), a renowned Greek scholar and philosopher who taught at the Patriarchal School in Constantinople. His works on philosophy and theology were widely read and influential during the Greek Enlightenment.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Konstantinos LYRAS (1820-1892), a Greek military officer who played a significant role in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. He later served as a general in the Greek army and was celebrated for his bravery and strategic skills.
In the 20th century, the name LYRAS gained further recognition with the birth of Petros LYRAS (1913-1992), a revered Greek composer and conductor. He contributed greatly to the development of Greek contemporary classical music and was widely acclaimed for his orchestral works and film scores.
Additionally, the name LYRAS has been associated with various place names in Greece, such as the village of Lyra in the region of Arcadia, which may have influenced the surname's origin or spread.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lyras
Among Census respondents with the surname Lyras, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Lyras bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lyras surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lyras
Lyras appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+5 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,500 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-6 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,642 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 4,500 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 4,642 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lyras surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #148,347 | #152,989 | -3.1% |
| Count | 111 | 105 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lyras bearers went from 111 to 105 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 4,642 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #152,989.
FAQ
Lyras surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lyras?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Lyras. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Lyras?
Lyras ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Lyras. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lyras.
Has Lyras become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lyras went from 111 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Lyras?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lyras, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lyras in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lyras appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lyras (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lyras mean?
A surname likely derived from the Greek word "lyra" referring to a lyre or harp. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lyras (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Lyras?
Want to know how many people have the last name Lyras? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.