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

Nye, 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 Nye surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nye in America

Nye is the 2952nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nye surname appeared 12,167 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Nye.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nye 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 Nye

The surname Nye is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "anhidde" or "anhudisc," which means "one-eyed" or "blind in one eye." This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who had a physical characteristic of being one-eyed or having a vision impairment in one eye.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Nye date back to the 13th century in various parts of England, such as Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. It was initially spelled in various ways, including Nie, Nies, and Nyes, before the modern spelling of Nye became more standardized.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are mentions of individuals with the surname Nie, which is believed to be an early variation of Nye. This suggests that the name was already in use before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Nye was William Nye, who was born in the late 13th century in Taunton, Somerset. He was a prominent landowner and served as a tax collector for the region.

Another notable figure with the surname Nye was Philip Nye (1596-1672), an English Presbyterian minister and theologian who played a significant role in the Westminster Assembly, a council of divines that met to restructure the Church of England during the English Civil War.

In the 17th century, the Nye family established itself in New England, where several members made significant contributions. Benjamin Nye (1620-1687) was one of the first settlers of Sandwich, Massachusetts, and served as a deputy to the General Court of Plymouth Colony.

Gideon Nye (1770-1848), born in Sandwich, Massachusetts, was a Baptist minister and author who wrote several religious works, including a notable treatise on Christian baptism.

Another prominent individual with the surname Nye was James Warren Nye (1815-1876), a lawyer and politician from New York who served as the 8th Governor of Nevada from 1864 to 1867.

While the surname Nye originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and settlement in new territories. However, its roots can be traced back to the Old English language and the descriptive nickname associated with a physical characteristic.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nye

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

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

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

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