The Light surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 16,769 people carried this name — #2,164 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 17,600 people counted. That is up 1% from 16,671 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Light surname

English surname, from both senses of light.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Light» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a nickname: ‘the little’.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 482 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Light was found among the farmers of Hampshire: 17 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Hampshire 17

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

46 families named Light, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 284 people lived in those households, 6.2 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 24
Maryland 7
Virginia 6
South Carolina 6
New York 2
Maine 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 250 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Light in American newspapers,
1894–1920.

Newspaper page from The Yellowstone Journal carrying the name Light
The Yellowstone Journal 1894-02-22
Newspaper page from The Yellowstone Journal carrying the name Light
The Yellowstone Journal 1894-10-16
Newspaper page from Ellsworth American carrying the name Light
Ellsworth American 1920-10-13

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 3,187 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Light in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

29,227 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Light. The most, 4,360, date from the 1910s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 2.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 9,611
Victoria 7,661
Queensland 4,009
South Australia 3,796
Western Australia 2,458
Tasmania 1,234
ACT (Canberra) 283
Northern Territory 100

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Light.

Who carried it

People named Light,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Light
    William Light 1786–1839 · military officer
  • William Light
    William Light 1786–1839 · military officer
  • Ursula Woodford 1514–
  • Walter Light 1520–1596
  • John Light Banger 1726–1798 · merchant
  • Francis Light 1740–1794 · explorer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Light,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,546 records

1,546 records of the Light name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 622
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 393
  • Other U.S. records 531
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John L. Light

    Born 1914 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at New York City; elevator operator from Kings County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1991, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Joseph Marion Light

    Born 1945; from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1966 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Eva Light

    Arrived at New York in 1853 aboard the Margaret Evans from London, aged 32; farmer. From Germany.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,546 records for Light in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia339 records

339 records of the Light name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 153
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 94
  • Other Australian records 92
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Light

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Midas, arriving 1827; ticket of leave 1840. Native of Wilts.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Anne Light

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Coromandel, aged 47; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Clarence Frederick Light

    Retired of Cheltenham, Victoria; died 1977.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 339 records for Light in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada50 records

50 records of the Light name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 19
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 15
  • Other Canadian records 16
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Light

    Came to Ontario in 1873 aboard the Circassian, landing at Quebec, bound for Newbury, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Fred J. Light

    Killed in 1948 at the Springhill No. 4 mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Leo Joseph Light

    Died 1994, aged 69; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.

Showing 3 of 50 records for Light in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Netherlands28 records

28 records of the Light name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 25
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Maria Margaretha Joost Light

    Died 1828 in Hoofdplaat, aged 45; seamstress.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Berendina Light

    Married in 1829 in Deventer.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Grietje Light

    Buried in 1748 in Alkmaar.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Alkmaar (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 28 records for Light in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom12 records

12 records of the Light name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 9
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 2
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Light

    Buried in 1820 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 19.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Eli Light

    Will proved in 1933; of Chippenham, Wilts.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. Light

    Royal Sussex Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 12 records for Light in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand9 records

9 records of the Light name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 6
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 2
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Reuben Light

    Died 1897, aged 56; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Light

    Died 1977, aged 58; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Annie Elizabeth Light

    Died 1936; buried at Kaiapoi Anglican Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Light in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Light name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Georges Light

    Born 1902 in the United Kingdom; died 1990 in Clichy (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Light.

When the index is not enough

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