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

Nyce, 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 Nyce surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nyce in America

Nyce is the 28065th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nyce surname appeared 853 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 Nyce.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nyce 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 Nyce

The surname NYCE is of English origin, first emerging around the 13th century in various areas of southern England, particularly in the counties of Hampshire and Wiltshire. It is derived from the Old English word "nice," meaning "foolish" or "simple," suggesting that the name may have initially been applied as a nickname to someone perceived as naive or unsophisticated.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire from 1268, where a certain Richard le Nyce is mentioned. The use of the prefix "le" before the surname indicates that it was still considered a descriptive nickname at the time.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as "Nyce," "Nyse," and "Nise," in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire from 1332, where a John Nyce is listed as a taxpayer.

While not mentioned in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, the NYCE surname does have links to several place names in southern England, such as Nythe in Hampshire and Nice in Somerset, which may have influenced the name's development and dispersal.

Notable historical figures bearing the NYCE surname include Sir John Nyce (1485-1558), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Wiltshire during the reign of Henry VIII. Another notable individual was Elizabeth Nyce (1590-1672), a renowned herbalist and midwife from Hampshire, who was widely respected for her knowledge of medicinal plants and her contributions to the local community.

Other notable individuals with the NYCE surname throughout history include William Nyce (1620-1685), a Puritan settler in colonial Massachusetts; Thomas Nyce (1745-1823), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War; and Mary Nyce (1810-1892), a prolific author and poet from London.

While the surname NYCE may have originated as a derogatory nickname, it has since evolved into a respectable and established English surname with a rich history and numerous notable bearers throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nyce

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

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

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

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