Lyons (surname)
Lyons is a surname with a variety of origins, from England, Ireland, Scotland, or perhaps France. The English surname Lyons can be traced back to the Norman French, when it was introduced after the Norman Conquest in 1066. It could originally have been an individual's nickname, from the Old French lion, signifying a brave or fierce warrior, or even an individual's name like Leo.[1] Alternately it could be a locational name from the small town of Lyons-la-Forêt in Normandy or less likely the central French town of Lyons. It is believed that both of these towns derive their names from old Celtic tongues spoken in Gaul – see Lugdunum (Lyon), and Lyons-la-Forêt.
The Surnames of Ireland[2] by Edward MacLysaght describes Lyons having its roots as a surname from the County Galway name of Ó Laighin, meaning grey. It could also be a variant of the Irish Ó Liatháin of County Cork.[3] It may also be a variant of the typically Scottish surname Lyon.
List of persons with the surname Lyons
- Al Lyons (1918–1965), US baseball player
- Algernon Lyons (1833–1908), Admiral in the Royal Navy
- Andrew Lyons (born 1966), English soccer player
- Anne Theresa Bickerton Lyons (1815–1894), British member of royalty
- Barry Lyons (footballer) (born 1945), English soccer player
- Barry Lyons (baseball), (born 1960), US baseball player
- Ben Lyons (born 1981), US film critic
- Bert Lyons (footballer) (1902–1981), English footballer
- Bert Lyons (trade unionist) (died 2008), British trade unionist
- Beverley Lyons, Scottish journalist
- Bill Lyons (born 1958), US baseball player
- Billy Red Lyons (1932–2009), Canadian wrestler
- Bonnie Lyons (born 1944), US writer and educator
- Brittany Lyons (born 1988), Jamaican model
- Brooke Lyons (f. 2000s), US actress
- Bubby Lyons (born 1929), US politician
- C. J. Lyons (f. 2000s), US physician and author
- C. P. Lyons (1915–1998), Canadian outdoorsman
- Charlie Lyons, US film producer and financier
- Charlton Lyons (1894–1973), US oilman and politician
- Claire Lyons, fictional character
- Cliff Lyons (born 1961), Australian rugby league player
- Cliff Lyons (actor) (born 1901), American motion picture stuntman, second-unit director, and actor
- Curt Lyons (born 1974), US baseball player
- Cyril Lyons (born 1959), Irish athlete in hurling
- Dan Lyons, CEO, Centre for Animals and Social Justice
- Dana Lyons (f. 1970–2000s), US musician and environmental activist
- Daniel Lyons (born 1960), US author
- Danny Lyons (1860–1888), US street gang figure
- Darryn Lyons (born 1965), Australian-born British news photographer
- David Lyons (rugby union, born 1980), Australian rugby player
- David Lyons (actor) (born 1976), Australian television actor
- David Lyons (rugby union, born 1985), English rugby union player
- David Lyons (swimmer) (born 1943), US swimmer
- Deb Lyons (f. 1980–2000s), US singer and songwriter
- Denis Lyons (born 1935), Irish politician
- Denny Lyons (1866–1929), US baseball player
- Dicky Lyons (born 1947), US football player
- Donal Lyons (f. 2000s), Irish politician
- Ed Lyons (1923–2009), US baseball player
- Eddie Lyons (1886–1926), US film actor
- Edmund Lyons, 1st Baron Lyons (1790–1858), Rear Admiral of the Royal Navy and diplomat
- Edmund Moubray Lyons (1819–1855), second son of Rear Admiral Sir Edmund Lyons
- Edward Lyons (1926–2010), British politician
- Dame Enid Lyons (1897–1981), Australian politician
- Eric Lyons (1912–1980), British architect
- Eugene Lyons (1898–1985), US author
- F. S. L. Lyons (1923–1983), Irish historian
- Fay-Ann Lyons (born 1980), Jamaican singer
- Gene Lyons (f. 1990s), US author and political analyst
- George Lyons (disambiguation)
- Graham Lyons (f. 1980–1990s), Australian rugby player
- Grant Lyons (b. 1941), writer
- Hall Lyons (1923–1998), American oilman and politician
- Harry Lyons (1866–1912), US baseball player
- Henry A. Lyons (c. 1809–1872), second Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California
- Sir Henry George Lyons (1864–1944), geologist and director of the Science Museum in London
- Henry Lyons (b. 1942), former President of the National Baptist Convention
- Hersh Lyons (1915–2008), US baseball player
- Humphrey Lyons (1802–1873), English politician in India
- Israel Lyons (1739–1775), English mathematician and botanist
- Jack Lyons, any of several men with the name:
- Jack Lyons (financier) (1916–2008), was the English entrepreneur and philanthropist.
- Jack Lyons (cricketer) (1863–1927), Australian cricketer
- Jack Lyons (soccer) (born c. 1900s), American soccer player
- J. B. Lyons (1922–2007), Jack Binignus Lyons, Irish medical historian and author
- Jacques Judah Lyons (1814–1877), US religious figure
- James J. Lyons (1890–1966), American politician
- James K. Lyons (1960–2007), American film editor and actor
- James L. Lyons (1916–1994), founder of the Monterey Jazz Festival
- James M. Lyons (born 1947), American lawyer, figure in the Whitewater controversy and former federal judicial nominee
- James W. Lyons (1878–1947), Canadian politician
- James Lyons (Upper Canada politician)
- James Lyons (Virginia) (1801–1882), Confederate politician
- James "Ace" Lyons, US Navy admiral, former Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet
- Jason Lyons (born 1970), Australian motorcycle racer
- Jeffrey S. Lyons, Canadian lawyer and community activist
- Jeffrey Lyons (born 1944), American television and film critic
- Jimmie Lyons (f. 1910–1920s), US baseball player
- Jimmy Lyons (1931–1986), US musician
- John Lyons (American football) (born 1952), American football coach
- John Lyons (bishop), Bishop of Ontario, 1932–1952
- John Lyons (UK politician) (born 1949), English Labour Party politician
- John Lyons (Antiguan politician) (1760–1816), Antiguan politician
- John Lyons (VC) (1823–1867), Irish soldier in the British army, recipient of the Victoria Cross
- John Lyons (ice hockey) (born 1899), United States ice hockey player who competed in the 1924 Winter Olympics
- John Lyons (horse trainer), author and horse trainer in the field of Natural horsemanship
- John Lyons (hurler) (born 1924), an Irish sportsperson
- John Lyons (linguist) (born 1932), English linguist
- John Lyons (actor) (born 1943), English actor
- John J. Lyons, Secretary of State of New York 1921–1922
- John Lyons (Longford politician), Irish independent / Labour Party politician, represented Longford-Westmeath 1922–27
- Jonathon Lyons (born 1951), British businessman
- Joseph Lyons (1879–1939), Australian Prime Minister
- Joseph M. Lyons (born 1951), US politician
- Judd Henry Lyons (born 1962), American general
- Katie Lyons (born 1981), British actress
- Ken Lyons (born 1956), US musician
- Kevin Lyons (1923–2000), Australian politician
- Kim Lyons (born 1973), US athlete and trainer
- Laura Lyons (born 1954), US model
- Leo Lyons (born 1943), English musician
- Leo Lyons (American football) (1892–1976), US football player and manager
- Leonard Lyons (1906–1976), US newspaper columnist
- Leslie A. Lyons (f. 2000s), US veterinary researcher
- Lorenzo Lyons (1807–1886), US-born missionary in Hawaii
- Louis M. Lyons (1897–1982), US journalist
- Marty Lyons (born 1957), US football player
- Mary Lyons (born 1947), British author
- Michael Lyons, any of several men with the name
- Mick Lyons (English footballer) (born 1951)
- Mick Lyons (Gaelic footballer) (f. 1980s)
- Miriam Lyons (f. 2000s), Australian academic and political advisor
- Mitch Lyons (born 1970), US football player
- Mossie Lyons (f. 2000s), Irish football player
- Nancy Lyons (born 1930), Australian swimmer
- Nathan Lyons (f. 2000s), US artist and photographer
- Ned Lyons (f. 1800s), US gang leader
- Niamh Lyons (f. 2000s), Irish political editor
- Oren Lyons (born 1930), US Native American figure
- Pat Lyons (1860–1914), US baseball player
- Patrick Lyons (1903–1967), Australian Catholic prelate; Third Bishop of Christchurch, New Zealand and Fourth Bishop of Sale, Victoria, Australia
- Peter Lyons, several people
- Pratt Lyons (born 1974), US football player
- Reginald Lyons (1922–1976), Irish cricketer
- Richard Lyons, any of several men with the name
- Robbie Lyons, US criminal convicted of murder
- Robert Lyons, any of several men with the name
- Rodney Lyons (born 1962), African-American politician
- Roger Lyons (born 1942), British labor leader
- Ron Lyons (1909–1942), Canadian hockey player
- Ross Lyons (born 1984), Scottish cricketer
- Ruth Lyons, any of several women with the name
- Samuel Lyons (1791–1851), Australian landowner and businessman
- Shane Lyons (born 1988), US television personality
- Shelby Lyons (born 1981), US figure skater
- Simon Lyons (born 1982), English football player
- Sophie Lyons (1848–1924), US criminal figure
- Steve Lyons (baseball) (born 1960), US baseball player and announcer
- Steve Lyons (writer) (f. 2000s), British writer
- Stuart Lyons (1928–1998), British film producer
- Susan Lyons (born 1957), Australian actress
- Ted Lyons (1900–1986), US baseball player and manager
- Terry Lyons, several people
- Thomas Lyons, any of several men with the name (Thomas, Tom, Tommy)
- Virginia V. Lyons (born 1944), US politician
- Will Lyons (f. 1990–2000s), British newspaper columnist
- William Lyons (1901–1985), British motorcar businessman
- William L. Lyons (1857–1911), US politician
- Zoe Lyons (born 1971), English comedy performer
See also
- Irish nobility
- Castlelyons (a late medieval seat of the Uí Liatháin)
- Lyons (disambiguation)
- Lions (surname)
- Lehane
References
- MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families: Their Names, Arms and Origins. Irish Academic Press. 4th edition, 1998.
- O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees. Dublin: James Duffy and Co. 5th edition, 1892.
- ↑ http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Lyons
- ↑ The Surnames of Ireland, Edward MacLysaght, sixth edition (1997), published by the Irish Academic Press, ISBN 0-7165-2364-7
- ↑ http://www.ireland-information.com/heraldichall/irishsurnames.htm