Show ContentsLyons History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Lyons is a proud example of one of the more noteworthy Scottish surnames. In Scotland, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and during the late Middle Ages, names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. The Lyons family originally lived in the Norman settlement of Lyons-la-Foret, before migrating to England and Scotland. 1

Early Origins of the Lyons family

The surname Lyons was first found in Perthshire where Sir Roger de Lyon settled in Scotland in 1098 and called the lands there Glen Lyon. "According to the family tradition the Lyons came to Scotland from France, by way of England, in the course of the twelfth century." 2

However, it appears the family was indeed in England before the 1100s. "Ingelram de Lions came to England 1066, and held Corsham and Culington from the King. He had Ranulph, whose brother William de Lions had a grant in Norfolk from Earl Walter Giffard, and left descendants there." 1

Moving north into Scotland, "John de Lyon obtained from David II a grant of the baronies of Forteviot and Fergundeny in Perthshire and Drumgawan in Aberdeenshire; his son, Sir John Lyon, was Secretary to Robert II, whose youngest daughter, Lady Jane Stewart, he married, and was created Lord Glamis, made Great Chamberlain, and Lord Chancellor of Scotland, and received grants of the Thanedom of Glamis in Forfarshire, and of the Barony of Kinghorn in Fifeshire. " 3

Another source claims that the family arrived via England later. "The name was not uncommon in England in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and landowners of the name were in occupation in several of the English shires in the reigns of Edward I and Edward II. The first of the name recorded in Scotland, probably an English soldier, was Thomas Lyon, crossbowman, who formed one of the garrison of Linlithgow peel in the pay of Edward II. " 2

Mention should now be made of the numerous listings of the family in England at about the same time. Here it is generally thought that the first record of the name was Roger de Leonibus filius Jeffrey de Lions who was listed in the Feet of Fines of Norfolk during the reign of Henry III of England (reign 1216-1272.) The same source lists John de Leonibus in Southamptonshire and Peter de Leonibus in Northamptonshire. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Judaeus Leo and Jacob filius Leonis in Lincolnshire; John Leon in Oxfordshire; and Roger de Lyons, Wiltshire. 4

Early History of the Lyons family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lyons research. Another 351 words (25 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1105, 1203, 1275, 1310, 1332, 1334, 1342, 1371, 1381, 1393, 1411, 1425, 1445, 1499, 1509, 1525, 1550, 1643, 1663, 1695, 1696, 1702, 1707, 1712, 1715 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lyons History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lyons Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lyon, Lions, Lyons and others.

Early Notables of the Lyons family

Notable among the family at this time was John Lyon, 2nd Earl of Kinghorne; and his son, Patrick Lyon, 3rd Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (1643-1695), a Scottish peer; John Lyon, 4th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (1663-1712), a Scottish peer; John Lyon, 5th...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lyons Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lyons World Ranking

In the United States, the name Lyons is the 326th most popular surname with an estimated 82,071 people with that name. 5 However, in Canada, the name Lyons is ranked the 764th most popular surname with an estimated 6,997 people with that name. 6 And in Australia, the name Lyons is the 273rd popular surname with an estimated 12,617 people with that name. 7 New Zealand ranks Lyons as 628th with 1,135 people. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Lyons as 458th with 14,204 people. 9

Migration of the Lyons family to Ireland

Some of the Lyons family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 118 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Lyons migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lyons Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Joanna Lyons, who landed in America in 1620 10
  • Geo Lyons, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 10
  • Cornelius Lyons, who settled in Virginia in 1663
Lyons Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Bartholomew Lyons, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 10
  • James Lyons, who landed in America in 1793 10
Lyons Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Coroner Lyons, who arrived in America in 1810 10
  • Cornelius Lyons, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 10
  • Eliza Lyons, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1811 10
  • Joseph Lyons, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1811 10
  • Mary Lyons, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1811 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Lyons Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Charles Lyons, who arrived in Mississippi in 1906 10

Lyons migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lyons Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Simons Lyons U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on October 26, 1783 was passenger number 241 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on September 28, 1783 at Staten Island, New York, USA 11
  • Mr. Benjamin Lyons U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 11
Lyons Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mary Lyons, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1823
  • Thomas Lyons, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1824
  • John Lyons, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1826
  • Andrew Lyons, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1829
  • John Lyons, aged 25, who landed in Quebec in 1833
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lyons migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Lyons Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Lyons, (b. 1768), aged 33, Irish convict who was convicted in Tipperary, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1829 12
  • Mr. Humphrey Lyons, (b. 1802), aged 18, Irish shop boy who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
  • Mr. Emanuel Lyons, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 8th April 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
  • Isaac Lyons, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Adamant" on March 16, 1821, settling in New South Wales, Australia 15
  • James Lyons, English convict from Surrey, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on April 1st, 1822, settling in New South Wales, Australia 16
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lyons migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Lyons Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Lyons, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Lord Burleigh" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th August 1856 17
  • Mr. Robert Lyons, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Lord Burleigh" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th August 1856 17
  • Miss Agnes Lyons, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th February 1856 18
  • Mrs. Amelia Lyons, (b. 1797), aged 62, English shop keeper from Kent travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th November 1859 18
  • Mrs. Agnes Lyons, (b. 1814), aged 45, English settler from Surrey travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th November 1859 18
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Lyons (post 1700) +

  • Dylan Lyons (1998-2023), American television news reporter for Spectrum News 13 in Orlando, Florida who was fatally shot while reporting from the scene of a homicide in the Pine Hills neighborhood
  • Nathan Lyons (1930-2016), American photographer, curator and educator, associate director at the George Eastman House, recipient of the International Center of Photography's Infinity Award for Lifetime Achievement in photography in 2000
  • Richard Lyons (1959-2016), American musician, one of the founding members of the experimental music band Negativland
  • James Aloysius "Ace" Lyons Jr., (b. 1927), retired admiral in the United States Navy, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (1985 to 1987)
  • David Chandler Lyons (b. 1943), American gold medalist competitive swimmer at the 1963 Pan American Games
  • Brooke Lyons (b. 1980), American actress, best known for her role as Amy in the 2008 film Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
  • Bonnie Lyons (b. 1944), American writer and academic
  • Ben Lyons (b. 1981), American film critic and entertainment reporter
  • Barry Stephen Lyons (b. 1960), American Major League Baseball right-handed hitting catcher
  • Albert Harold "Al" Lyons (1918-1965), American Major League Baseball player
  • ... (Another 124 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. William Henry Lyons (d. 1914), British Seaman from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 19
HMS Royal Oak
  • John Lyons (1906-1939), British Able Seaman with the Royal Fleet Reserve aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 20
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Archibald Lyons, English Trimmer from Walton, Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 21
  • Miss Annie Lyons, English 3rd Class passenger from England, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 22
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. William Henry Lyons, aged 26, English Able Seaman from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping on life boat 4 23
SS Atlantic
  • Jas Lyons, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
  • John Lyons, Irish traveler aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking


The Lyons Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Pro rege et patria
Motto Translation: For King and country.


Suggested Readings for the name Lyons +

  • Baldwin/Lyon Family by Virginia Baldwin Pomata.
  • The Ancestry of Nathalie Fontaine Lyons by Jo White Linn.

  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  3. Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  7. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  8. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  9. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  10. 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)
  11. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  15. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Adamant voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1821 with 144 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adamant/1821
  16. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 190 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1822
  17. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  18. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  19. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  20. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
  21. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  22. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  23. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook