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

Pye, 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 Pye surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pye in America

Pye is the 8763rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pye surname appeared 3,743 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 Pye.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pye 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 Pye

The surname Pye is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "pigg," which referred to a small hill or mound. The name was initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near or on a small hill.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the earliest known record of surnames in England, there are several entries for people with the name Pye or similar spellings like Pyg or Pygge. These entries are primarily from counties in the southeast of England, such as Kent, Surrey, and Sussex, suggesting that the name originated in this region.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Pye was Walter Pye, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire in 1199. These rolls were records of financial transactions with the Crown in medieval England.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Pye began to appear in various forms, including Pie, Py, and Pye, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common at the time. Some of these early bearers of the name were associated with various place names, such as Thomas de la Pye, who was listed in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, and John atte Pye, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of Kent in 1334.

In the 15th century, the name Pye gained prominence with the rise of the Pye family of Faringdon, Berkshire. One notable member of this family was Sir Robert Pye (c. 1454-1522), who served as a Justice of the Peace and Member of Parliament for Berkshire.

Another famous bearer of the Pye surname was Sir Walter Pye (1571-1635), an English lawyer and politician who served as Attorney General and a Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I.

In the 17th century, Sir Robert Pye (1599-1662) was a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament and was a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.

The name Pye also has connections to literature, with the English poet and playwright Henry Neville Pye (1742-1819) being a notable figure. He served as the Poet Laureate of Great Britain from 1790 until his death.

Throughout history, the surname Pye has been associated with various place names, such as Pye Green in Staffordshire, Pye Corner in London, and Pye Nest in Sussex, reflecting the geographic spread of the name across England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pye

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

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

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

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