2000
#20,785
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,181
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.44
Rare Last name
Lill
A place name referring to someone from Lill, Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,377 Americans carry the last name Lill. That puts it at #22,053 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 248,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lill surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lill with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.4K
1 in 248,914
Census rank
#22,053
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,201 bearers of the surname Lill in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22053rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lill
The surname Lill is believed to have originated in Germany, dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "lill," which means "small" or "little." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or descriptive term for someone of small stature or a younger child.
Lill is also speculated to have connections to various place names in Germany, such as Lille in North Rhine-Westphalia or Lill in Rhineland-Palatinate. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname, as people were often identified by their place of origin or residence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Lill can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Middle Ages. This document, dating back to the 13th century, mentions a person named "Conradus dictus Lill."
Another notable historical figure bearing the surname Lill was Johann Georg Lill, a German composer and organist born in 1733 in Nuremberg. He is renowned for his contributions to sacred music and his compositions for the organ.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Johann Lill (1709-1789) made a significant impact in the field of theology. He served as a professor of theology at the University of Erlangen and authored several influential works on religious subjects.
During the 19th century, a German politician named August Lill (1843-1919) gained recognition for his involvement in the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). He served as a member of the Reichstag, representing the interests of the working class.
Another notable individual with the surname Lill was the German artist and illustrator Karl Lill (1899-1965). He was known for his contributions to the art nouveau movement and his intricate illustrations for books and magazines.
It is worth noting that while the surname Lill may have originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, the historical records and references provided here primarily focus on the earliest known instances and notable figures associated with this surname within the German context.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lill
Among Census respondents with the surname Lill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lill bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lill surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 1,103
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 38
- Two or more races2.6% · 31
- Black or African American1.6% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lill
Lill appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#22,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,174
-7 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Down 1,284 places
2020
#22,053
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,201
+27 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Up 16 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,785 | 1,181 | 0.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,069 | 1,174 | 0.40 | -7 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 1,284 places |
| 2020 | #22,053 | 1,201 | 0.40 | +27 bearers (+2.3%) | Up 16 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lill surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #22,069 | #22,053 | 0.1% |
| Count | 1,174 | 1,201 | 2.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lill bearers went from 1,174 to 1,201 (+2.3% change). The surname moved up 16 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,069 to #22,053.
FAQ
Lill surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lill?
Name Census estimates that about 1,377 living Americans carry the surname Lill. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 248,914 residents.
How common is Lill?
Lill ranks #22,053 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,201 people with the surname Lill. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,377), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lill.
Has Lill become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lill went from 1,174 recorded bearers to 1,201. That is an increase of 27 (+2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #22,069 to #22,053.
What does the Census say about the background of Lill?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lill in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (1,103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lill appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lill (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lill mean?
A place name referring to someone from Lill, Germany. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lill (0.40 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Lill?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Lill on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.