The Lyons surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 84,516 people carried this name — #369 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 3,490 people counted. That is up 3% from 82,258 in 2000.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 210 births for the Lyons name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Munster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 9,300 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 126 people named Lyons.
26 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 16 départements, most often Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
60 people named Lyons live in Switzerland.
They live in 9 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 23 people named Lyons live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In the Nordic population registers
96 people named Lyons are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
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) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Lyons in American newspapers,
1899–1905.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,404,720 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Lyons,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Israel Lyons d. 1770 · teacher
-
Reginald Lyons d. 1966 · actor
-
Tommy Imabulg Lyons d. 1978 · Aboriginal tracker
-
William Lyons d. 1633
-
Henry Lyons d. 1807
-
Theodore Lyons d. 1825
Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Lyons.
When the index is not enough
This page says where Lyons 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.