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

Eye, 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 Eye surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Eye in America

Eye is the 17775th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Eye surname appeared 1,576 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 Eye.

We can also compare 2010 data for Eye 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 Eye

The surname "Eye" originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Old English word "ēge," which means "eye" or "an island." It's believed that the name initially referred to people who lived on an island or near a body of water.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with references found in historical documents such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John atte Eye, who was listed in the records of Norfolk, England, in 1275.

During the Middle Ages, the Eye surname was primarily concentrated in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, which were home to numerous settlements with names containing the word "eye," such as Eye, a town in Suffolk derived from the Old English "ēg" meaning "island."

In the 14th century, the Eye surname appeared in the Cartulary of Bury St. Edmunds Abbey, a manuscript containing records of land transactions and legal proceedings in the area. This document mentioned individuals like Robert Eye, who lived in the village of Eye in the late 1300s.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Eye surname. One prominent example is Thomas Eye, a 15th-century English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Norfolk in 1450 and 1460.

Another well-known figure was Sir Henry Eye, a 16th-century English merchant and diplomat who played a key role in establishing trade relations between England and the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the Eye surname was associated with the Puritan movement in England. One notable bearer was John Eye, a prominent Puritan minister and author who served as the vicar of St. Nicholas' Church in Nottingham from 1624 to 1644.

During the English Civil War, Sir William Eye, a Royalist commander, gained recognition for his military exploits in defense of King Charles I. He was knighted for his service in 1643.

In the 18th century, the Eye surname gained literary significance with the poet and playwright George Eye, who was born in London in 1715 and is best known for his satirical works critiquing the social and political climate of his time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Eye

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

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 Eye 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 Eye 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 Eye was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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