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

Lytes, 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 Lytes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lytes in America

Lytes is the 157234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lytes surname appeared 103 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 Lytes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lytes 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 Lytes

The surname Lytes has its origins in England, with records indicating that it first appeared in the 11th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "lyte," which means "small" or "little." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname for someone of small stature or a younger child.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Lytes can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Lyte" in this historical document, indicating its prevalence in the region during that time.

The surname Lytes has also been associated with various place names throughout England. For example, the village of Lytes Cary in Somerset may have been named after an early bearer of the surname, as the place was once referred to as "Cary Lytes" in historical records. Additionally, the surname has been linked to the village of Lyte's Carey in Gloucestershire, further solidifying its connection to specific locations.

Notable individuals with the surname Lytes include John Lytes, a merchant and Member of Parliament for Bodmin in Cornwall during the 16th century (born around 1520, died in 1595). Another prominent figure was Sir Richard Lytes, a baronet and landowner in Wiltshire who lived in the 17th century (born in 1619, died in 1681).

In the literary world, Henry Francis Lytes (1793-1847) was an Anglican clergyman and hymn writer, best known for his hymn "Abide with Me." His work has been celebrated and sung in churches worldwide.

Moving into the 20th century, Sir Felton Lytes (1903-1978) was a prominent British businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Westbury from 1945 to 1970. He made significant contributions to the development of the aerospace industry in the United Kingdom.

It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as Lyte and Lyte-Smythe, have also been recorded throughout history, reflecting the evolution of the surname over time and across different regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lytes

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!