The Lyman surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 11,664 people carried this name — #3,079 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 25,300 people counted. That is up 2% from 11,465 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Lyman surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Lyneham’.

An early record he cites: William de Linham, Oxfordshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 836 · public domain.

In the Nordic population registers

95 people named Lyman is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 95

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In the first U.S. census, 1790

114 families named Lyman, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 764 people lived in those households, 6.7 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

Connecticut 48
Massachusetts 36
Vermont 20
New Hampshire 5
Maine 2
Pennsylvania 2
Rhode Island 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. 251 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Lyman in American newspapers,
1857–1858.

Newspaper page from Smyrna Times carrying the name Lyman
Smyrna Times 1858-04-22
Newspaper page from The Jackson Standard carrying the name Lyman
The Jackson Standard 1857-11-26
Newspaper page from The Highland Weekly News carrying the name Lyman
The Highland Weekly News 1858-05-13

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 536,319 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Lyman in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1980s.

2,135 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Lyman. The most, 775, date from the 1900s. 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 Western Australia, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 626
Victoria 504
Queensland 371
Western Australia 235
South Australia 205
Tasmania 135
ACT (Canberra) 19
Northern Territory 7

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

Who carried it

People named Lyman,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Joe Lyman d. 1976 · rugby league player
  • John Lyman Jr. 1660–1740
  • Anna Lyman 1731–1833
  • Esther Lyman 1742–1775
  • Moses Lyman 1743–1829
  • Samuel Lyman 1749–1802 · judge

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Lyman,
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 States1,670 records

1,670 records of the Lyman name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 625
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 390
  • Other U.S. records 655
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Gerald Clyde Lyman

    Born 1944; from San Diego, California. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; died of wounds 1966 in Quang Ngai, South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Reynolds Lyman

    Born 1923 in Colorado. Enlisted 1942 at Tulsa, Oklahoma; farmer from Rogers County, Oklahoma. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Fort Gibson National Cemetery, Oklahoma.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Lyman

    Arrived at New York in 1854 aboard the Adams from Liverpool, aged 30; servant. From Ireland.

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

Showing 3 of 1,670 records for Lyman in the United States.

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

Canada108 records

108 records of the Lyman name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 94
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 5
  • Other Canadian records 9
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Warren Lyman

    Buried in 1982 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 84.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Joseph Martin Lyman

    Died 1915 in Wolfville, Kings, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Benjamin Charles Philip Lyman

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 108 records for Lyman in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia27 records

27 records of the Lyman name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 19
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 4
  • Other Australian records 4
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Frank Lyman

    Gentleman of America, Victoria; died 1992.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Owen Lyman

    Arrived in Victoria in 1910 aboard the Bremen, aged 27.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Catharine Lyman

    Married 1890 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 33.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 27 records for Lyman in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

United Kingdom5 records

5 records of the Lyman name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. W. Lyman

    Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. Lyman

    Northamptonshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. W. Lyman

    Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. 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 5 records for Lyman in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Lyman name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Rose Lyman

    Died 1974, aged 73; buried at Ruru Lawn, 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 Edwin George Lyman

    Died 1979, aged 81; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City 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).

Belgium2 records

2 records of the Lyman name in Belgium Belgian population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Edouard Francois Lyman

    In the population register of Aalst; "machiniste", born 1843 in Gand.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Aalst (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Eulalia Lyman

    In the population register of Meirelbeke; born 1866 in Meirelbeke.

    Open Archives, Erfgoedcel Denderland (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Finland1 record

1 record of the Lyman name in Finland Finland's war dead, 1939–1945
  1. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Lauri Nestori Lyman

    Born 1905 in Sysmä; farmer. Died in 1939 during Finland's wars of 1939–1945; buried in Sysmä.

    Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Lyman.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Lyman is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Lyman volume
Scroll to Top