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

Kye, 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 Kye surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kye in America

Kye is the 33410th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kye surname appeared 683 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kye.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kye 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 Kye

The surname "Kye" is believed to have originated in Scotland, likely deriving from the Old English word "cy" or "kye," which means "cows" or "cattle." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with cattle or had a connection to that industry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Kye" can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Kye de Ayre," indicating that the individual was from the area of Ayr in western Scotland.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name "Kye" was particularly prevalent in the Scottish Lowlands, where many families with this surname resided. Notable individuals from this period include John Kye (1550-1621), a prominent merchant and landowner in Edinburgh, and Robert Kye (1601-1678), a Scottish clergyman and author.

In the 18th century, the name "Kye" began to spread beyond Scotland as some families migrated to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. One notable example is William Kye (1737-1804), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.

The 19th century saw the name "Kye" appear in various historical records and documents, including the birth and death registers of several Scottish parishes. During this time, the name was also associated with several prominent figures, such as Alexander Kye (1819-1890), a Scottish politician and landowner, and James Kye (1855-1932), a Scottish entrepreneur and founder of the Kye Distillery in Glasgow.

Other notable individuals with the surname "Kye" throughout history include:

• Margaret Kye (1675-1743), a Scottish poet and writer
• David Kye (1801-1879), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and philanthropist
• Thomas Kye (1845-1921), a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman
• Elizabeth Kye (1890-1968), a British novelist and playwright
• Henry Kye (1912-1998), a Scottish-born American artist and sculptor

While the name "Kye" has maintained its presence in Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom, it has also been carried by families who emigrated to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kye

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

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

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

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