Given name & surname
Lyman
“man of the meadow”
Lyman is a variant of Leyman. One English interpretation is “man of the meadow.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Lyman is a variant of Leyman. One English interpretation is “man of the meadow.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Lyman is a variant of Leyman. An origin associated with Leyman is English.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Lyman through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 8,559
- 8,559 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1917
- 220 babies
- 2025
- 6
- #11,484 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −45%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 6 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 11,484 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 220 in 1917. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,861 as a first name in 2020; 11,387 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Lyman’s family of names
Lyman has a related form in Leyman. In English usage, Lyman as a surname has a related form in LYMON.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Lyman
- L. Frank BaumAmerican author of children's books (1856–1919)
- Lyman SpitzerAmerican astronomer (1914–1997)
- Lyman AbbottAmerican theologian, editor, author (1835–1922)
- Lyman LemnitzerAmerican general (1899–1988)
- Lyman James BriggsAmerican engineer (1874–1963)
- Lyman BeecherAmerican Presbyterian minister and American Temperance Society co-founder (1775–1863)
- Lyman HallAmerican physician (1724-1790)
- Lyman Hinebobsledder (1888–1930)
- Lyman J. GageAmerican financier and 42nd Secretary of the Treasury (1836–1927)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Lyman, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Irving
“a triend of the sea”
>99% boys
Wilton
“from the town on the river”
>99% boys
Orrin
“from the river”
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Irvin
“a triend of the sea”
>99% boys
Mervin
“a friend of the sea”
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Frazier
“of the forest men”
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Hurley
“a healthy woman” · “of the sea tide”
96% boys · 4% girls
Anton
“a flourishing man; from an ancient Roman family”
>99% boys