Explore the Family Name Lye
The meaning of Lye
1. English: variant of Lee 1, a topographic name for someone who lived near a patch of arable land, or a habitational name from Lye in Herefordshire (with the same etymology). 2. Norwegian: habitational name from a farmstead in Rogaland named Lye, Old Norse Lýgi meaning ‘alliance, covenant’, used to denote a place sanctified by such an agreement, such as a court or council meeting place. 3. Altered form of German Ley. 4. French: habitational name from Lye in Indre. 5. French (Lyé): habitational name from any of the places called Lié in Deux-Sèvres and Vendée. 6. Chinese: variant of Lai.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lye in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Lye has seen a gradual increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of this surname rose from 49,869 in 2000 to 48,530 in 2010, marking a change of 2.69%. Moreover, the count, which refers to the number of people with the Lye surname, increased by 10.13% from 395 in 2000 to 435 in 2010. However, the proportion per 100k of people with the surname Lye remained constant at 0.15 throughout this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #49,869 | #48,530 | 2.69% |
| Count | 395 | 435 | 10.13% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lye
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data illustrates that the Lye surname is most prevalent among individuals who identify as White, with an increase from 64.81% in 2000 to 65.52% in 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander also rose slightly during this period, from 25.32% to 26.67%. However, there was a significant decrease of 33.42% in those identifying as Black, from 3.80% in 2000 to 2.53% in 2010. The percentages of those identifying as Hispanic or American Indian and Alaskan Native remained stagnant at 0%, while the percentage of those identifying as belonging to two or more races decreased from 4.05% to 3.22%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 64.81% | 65.52% | 1.1% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 25.32% | 26.67% | 5.33% |
| Two or More Races | 4.05% | 3.22% | -20.49% |
| Black | 3.8% | 2.53% | -33.42% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |