Find out how popular the last name Bye is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bye.

Bye, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bye surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bye in America

Bye is the 9496th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bye surname appeared 3,423 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bye.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bye to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bye

The surname "BYE" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "byge," which means "a bend or curve," often referring to a person who lived near a bend in a road or river.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. It was often spelled as "Bye," "Bie," or "Bye" in ancient records and manuscripts.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Bye, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297. Another notable figure was John Bye, a landowner from Norfolk, whose name appeared in the Feet of Fines records in 1342.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name became more widespread across England, and several individuals with the surname Bye made their mark in various fields. One such person was Richard Bye (c. 1570-1631), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Stanhope in Durham.

Another notable figure was Sir William Bye (1616-1681), a English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Southwark and was knighted by King Charles II in 1660. He played a crucial role in the Restoration of the monarchy after the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, the name Bye was associated with several notable individuals, including Thomas Bye (1733-1811), an English Dissenting minister and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects.

One of the most prominent bearers of the surname Bye in the 19th century was Edward Bye Ficklin (1828-1891), an American lawyer and politician who served as a Confederate States Senator during the American Civil War.

While the name Bye can be found in various parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage, its roots can be traced back to medieval England, where it was closely associated with geographical features and locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bye

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bye.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bye was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bye has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bye was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bye, please contact us.

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