NameCensus.

UK surname

Lyman

From an English placename meaning "an enclosed area of land" or referring to a servant who tended such land.

In the 1881 census there were 153 people recorded with the Lyman surname, ranking it #15,320 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 374, ranked #12,490, up from #15,320 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Silkstone, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Northampton All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, Wakefield and Milton Keynes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lyman is 390 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 144.4%.

1881 census count

153

Ranked #15,320

Modern count

374

2016, ranked #12,490

Peak year

1999

390 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lyman had 153 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,320 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 374 in 2016, ranked #12,490.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 301 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Lyman surname distribution map

The map shows where the Lyman surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Lyman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lyman over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 122 #14,966
1861 historical 155 #14,881
1881 historical 153 #15,320
1891 historical 259 #12,399
1901 historical 301 #11,627
1911 historical 264 #12,449
1997 modern 378 #11,474
1998 modern 388 #11,612
1999 modern 390 #11,660
2000 modern 375 #11,949
2001 modern 370 #11,904
2002 modern 386 #11,740
2003 modern 387 #11,523
2004 modern 365 #12,077
2005 modern 365 #11,985
2006 modern 355 #12,316
2007 modern 362 #12,271
2008 modern 365 #12,308
2009 modern 382 #12,150
2010 modern 372 #12,651
2011 modern 366 #12,667
2012 modern 358 #12,724
2013 modern 374 #12,521
2014 modern 378 #12,512
2015 modern 374 #12,495
2016 modern 374 #12,490

Geography

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Where Lymans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Silkstone, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Northampton All Saints, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, Wakefield and Milton Keynes. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Northampton All Saints Northamptonshire
4 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 020 Barnsley
2 Wakefield 027 Wakefield
3 Barnsley 014 Barnsley
4 Barnsley 007 Barnsley
5 Milton Keynes 004 Milton Keynes

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lyman

These lists show first names that appear often with the Lyman surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lyman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Lyman, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Lyman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Lyman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Lyman is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lyman is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lyman falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lyman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Lyman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Lyman

The surname LYMAN has its origins in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words 'lie' meaning shelter and 'mann' meaning man, thus translating to a man living in a sheltered or secluded area. The name was initially found in various counties across England, including Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LYMAN can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191, where it appears as 'Leman'. This spelling variation was common during the Middle Ages and is believed to have evolved from the original Old English pronunciation.

The LYMAN surname has a rich historical presence, with notable mentions in various ancient records and manuscripts. In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, the name appears as 'Lemannus' and is listed among landholders in counties like Norfolk and Suffolk.

One of the earliest known individuals bearing the LYMAN surname was Sir Richard Lyman (c. 1480 - 1554), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire during the reign of King Henry VIII. Another prominent figure was Henry Lyman (1592 - 1671), a founding settler of Hartford, Connecticut, who emigrated from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 17th century.

Other notable individuals with the LYMAN surname include:

1. Phineas Lyman (1716 - 1774), an American military officer who served in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. 2. Theodore Lyman III (1833 - 1897), an American writer, horticulturist, and philanthropist from Massachusetts. 3. Benjamin Smith Lyman (1835 - 1920), an American geologist and educator who served as the principal of Pennsylvania State Normal School, now known as Bloomsburg University. 4. Amasa Lyman (1813 - 1877), an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 5. Chester Lyman (1822 - 1890), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Representative from Connecticut.

Throughout its history, the LYMAN surname has been associated with various place names and locations, including Lyman, New Hampshire, and Lyman County, South Dakota, both named after early settlers bearing the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lyman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lyman surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Northamptonshire leads with 58 Lymans recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.59x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 58 41.59x
Nottinghamshire 18 9.01x
Lancashire 13 0.74x
Middlesex 13 0.88x
Staffordshire 9 1.80x
Warwickshire 8 2.14x
Yorkshire 8 0.54x
Buckinghamshire 6 6.69x
Lanarkshire 4 0.83x
Worcestershire 4 2.07x
Surrey 3 0.42x
Bedfordshire 1 1.30x
Durham 1 0.23x
Essex 1 0.34x
Hertfordshire 1 0.98x
Kent 1 0.20x
Leicestershire 1 0.61x
Northumberland 1 0.45x
Royal Navy 1 5.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 13 Lymans recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.15x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 13 25.15x
Northampton All Sts 9 190.27x
Wellingborough 9 128.39x
Aston 8 7.77x
Northampton Priory St 8 95.58x
Grafton Regis 7 7777.78x
Manchester 7 8.85x
West Bromwich 7 24.43x
Toxteth Park 6 10.07x
Whitechapel London 5 34.22x
Bugbrooke 4 869.57x
Govan 4 3.37x
Hackleton 4 2105.26x
Kensington London 4 4.85x
Lower Mitton 4 233.92x
Piddington 4 1538.46x
Stoke Bruern 4 930.23x
Welton 4 1600.00x
Leeds 3 3.62x
St Anne Soho London 3 35.42x
Stoke Goldington 3 731.71x
Barnsley 2 13.20x
Croydon 2 4.99x
Gayhurst 2 4000.00x
Greens Norton 2 454.55x
Langar 2 909.09x
Mansfield 2 28.90x
Rowley Regis 2 14.34x
Bedford St Paul 1 18.98x
Camberwell 1 1.06x
Colchester St Giles 1 34.60x
Earls Barton 1 84.03x
Fenny Stratford 1 117.65x
Herne 1 44.64x
Hillingdon 1 21.14x
Horton In Bradford 1 4.36x
Leicester St Margaret 1 2.49x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 34.48x
Nottingham St Nicholas 1 36.76x
Peterborough 1 9.90x
Rawdon 1 57.80x
South Shields 1 25.45x
Watford 1 12.63x
Yapham With Meltonby 1 833.33x
Yardley Gobion 1 333.33x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Lyman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 8
Sarah 6
Mary 5
Alice 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Emily 3
Jane 3
Lucy 3
Charlotte 2
Maria 2
A. 1
Amy 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Cecelia 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Florie 1
Francis 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Isabella 1
Kate 1
Kiziah 1
Leah 1
Lizzie 1
M. 1
Margaret 1
Marie 1
Matilda 1
Priscilla 1
Rose 1
Susan 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Lyman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 16
James 11
William 8
George 5
Joseph 5
Charles 4
Alfred 3
Henry 3
Richard 3
Thomas 3
Albert 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Job 2
Amos 1
Archabald 1
Edgar 1
Elias 1
Ernest 1
Fredk.Geo. 1
Lewis 1
Wm 1

FAQ

Lyman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lyman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 153 people were recorded with the Lyman surname. That placed it at #15,320 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lyman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 374 in 2016. That gives Lyman a modern rank of #12,490.

What does the Lyman surname mean?

From an English placename meaning "an enclosed area of land" or referring to a servant who tended such land.

What does the Lyman map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Lyman bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.