Explore the Family Name Lyon
The meaning of Lyon
1. Scottish, English, and French: from the personal name Middle English Lyon, Old French Leon (from Latin leo ‘lion’, or the cognate Greek leōn; see Leon). Compare Lyall. 2. Scottish and English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Lyons-la-Forêt in Eure, Normandy. It is unlikely to be from the better-known southern French city of Lyon (see 5 below). 3. English and French: nickname from Middle English lioun ‘lion’ (Old English, Latin leo), Old French leon, perhaps applied to a brave, fierce, or proud person, or one with a shaggy mane of hair. Compare Lion. 4. Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Laighin (see Lane 2). 5. French: habitational name from the city of Lyon in south central France (or, in some cases, from the commune of Lyons-la-Forêt in Eure, Normandy; compare 2 above). The name of the city of Lyon is recorded in the 1st century bc as Lugdunum and is from the name of a Celtic god Lug (or this as a personal name, from a word meaning ‘brightness’) + dunon ‘hill fort’. 6. Altered form of Dutch De Leeuw.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lyon in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Lyon has seen some shifts in popularity over a decade. In 2000, Lyon was the 1,175th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had dipped slightly to become the 1,271st most common name, representing an 8.17% decrease. Despite this fall in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Lyon surname increased by 1.29%, with the number rising from 27,337 in 2000 to 27,690 in 2010. However, the proportion per 100,000 people of the population bearing the Lyon surname experienced a 7.31% decrease during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,175 | #1,271 | -8.17% |
| Count | 27,337 | 27,690 | 1.29% |
| Proportion per 100k | 10.13 | 9.39 | -7.31% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lyon
When it comes to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some changes between 2000 and 2010 among those with the Lyon surname. The percentage identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw a significant increase of 37.74%. Similarly, there was a 35.9% increase in those who identify with two or more races, while persons identifying as Hispanic saw a 59.73% increase. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category also showed a moderate rise of 14.29%. On the other hand, the proportion of those identifying as White decreased slightly by 1.86%, yet still represented the largest ethnic group among those with the Lyon surname at 91.83% in 2010. Black representation also increased slightly by 6.03% over the period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.57% | 91.83% | -1.86% |
| Black | 2.82% | 2.99% | 6.03% |
| Hispanic | 1.49% | 2.38% | 59.73% |
| Two or More Races | 1.17% | 1.59% | 35.9% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.53% | 0.73% | 37.74% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.42% | 0.48% | 14.29% |
Lyon ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Lyon is British & Irish, which comprises 52.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.5%) and Scandinavian (5.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.0% |
| French & German | 23.5% |
| Scandinavian | 5.4% |
| Other | 19.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Lyon
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Lyon have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
What Lyon haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Lyon is R-DF5, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-DF5 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Fish, Bullock, Lyons, Hopper, Carden, Doss, Scully, Dowling, Bird, Finley.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lyon surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Lyon have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Lyon" Surname 45.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Lyon" Surname 31.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lyon" Surname 21.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"Lyon" Surname 37.5%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lyon?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Lyon are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition