Lily History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Lily has a rich and ancient history. It is an Anglo-Saxon name that was originally derived from the popular female personal name Elizabeth. The name Lily is a metronymic surname, which is derived from the name of the mother. Occasionally, the surname is derived from residence in the settlement of Lilley in Hertfordshire or in the place called Lilly in Berkshire. In this case, the name Lily belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Lily family

The surname Lily was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Lily family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lily research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1553, 1560, 1578, 1580, 1602, 1606, 1618, 1652, 1680, 1681 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lily History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lily Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Lily include Lillie, Lilie, Lilley, Lilly and others.

Early Notables of the Lily family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680), born Pieter van der Faes, a Dutch painter whose career was nearly all spent in England, where he became the dominant portrait painter to the court; John Lyly (Lilly or Lylie; c.1553-1606), an English writer, poet, dramatist, playwright, and politician, best known for his books "Euphues, The...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lily Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lily family to Ireland

Some of the Lily family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lily migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Lily Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Lily, who arrived in Tippecanoe County, Ind in 1843 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Lily (post 1700) +

Robert H. Lily, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 48th District, 1897-98 2
Audrey Lily Eagle CNZM (1925-2022), née Brodey, a New Zealand botanical illustrator, known for her work on New Zealand's distinctive trees and shrubs
Mary Lily Nuckolls, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Virginia, 1996, 2000 3
Lily Annabelle L. Travers (b. 1990), English actress
Lily Jacoba van den Broecke MBE (b. 1992), is a British rower who competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson (b. 1989), known professionally as Lily James, an English actress she appeared in Just William, Downton Abbey, Cinderella, Baby Driver, Darkest Hour and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Lily James (b. 1989), stage name of Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson, an English Emmy Award nominated actress, known for her roles in War & Peace (2016), Downton Abbey (2012–2015) and Cinderella (2015)
Lily Chodidjah Wahid (1948-2022), Indonesian politician, Member of the National Awakening Party, she served in the People's Representative Council from 2009 to 2013
Lily Jane Collins (b. 1989), British-American acress and model, best known for her roles Growing Pains, Mirror Mirror and Emily in Paris.
Lily Mithen (b. 1998), Australian rules footballer playing for the Melbourne Football Club in the AFL Women's competition

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, May 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html