Nordbye last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Nordbye

A surname of Norwegian origin meaning "north settlement" or "northern farm".

Nordbye, 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 Nordbye surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nordbye in America

Nordbye is the 141140th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nordbye surname appeared 118 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 Nordbye.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nordbye 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 141140 138741 1.71%
Count 118 111 6.11%
Proportion per 100k 0.04 0.04 0.00%

The history of the last name Nordbye

The surname NORDBYE has its origins in Norway, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words "norðr" meaning "north" and "býr" meaning "farm" or "settlement." The name likely referred to someone who lived or owned a farm located in the northern regions of Norway.

NORDBYE was commonly found in coastal areas of western Norway, particularly in the counties of Møre og Romsdal and Sogn og Fjordane. Early records show variations in spelling, such as Nordbÿ, Nordbye, and Nordby, reflecting the evolution of the Norwegian language over time.

One of the earliest known references to the name NORDBYE can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomatic documents dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in a land deed from 1286, where a farmer named Thorvald Nordbye is mentioned as a witness.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Hans Nordbye (1523-1589) made a name for himself as a skilled shipbuilder and navigator. He played a significant role in the expansion of Norwegian maritime trade during that period.

Another notable individual with the surname NORDBYE was Grete Nordbye (1675-1743), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from Bergen. She was known for her generous support of local churches and educational institutions.

During the 19th century, the name NORDBYE gained recognition through the works of Nils Nordbye (1820-1896), a renowned Norwegian painter and illustrator. His landscapes and depictions of rural life captured the essence of his homeland and are celebrated as important contributions to Norwegian art history.

Another prominent figure was Øystein Nordbye (1888-1964), a Norwegian politician and diplomat who served as the ambassador to the United States from 1949 to 1953. He played a crucial role in strengthening the diplomatic ties between Norway and the United States during the post-World War II era.

Throughout history, the surname NORDBYE has been associated with various professions, from farmers and landowners to artists, politicians, and diplomats. Despite its origins in rural Norway, the name has spread globally, carried by Norwegian emigrants and their descendants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nordbye

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

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 Nordbye was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 97.46% 115
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Nordbye has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 97.46% 96.40% 1.09%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Nordbye last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on August 2, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/nordbye-surname-popularity/.

"Nordbye last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/nordbye-surname-popularity/. Accessed 2 August, 2025

Nordbye last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/nordbye-surname-popularity/.

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