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

Sye, 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 Sye surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sye in America

Sye is the 55255th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sye surname appeared 372 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 Sye.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sye 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 Sye

The surname "SYE" is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from the Old English word "syge," which means "small valley" or "ditch." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near or worked in a small valley or ditch.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a person named William de la Sye is mentioned. This document was a survey of landholders in England at the time, indicating that the Sye family may have held land or property in the area.

Another early reference can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1301, which mention a John de la Sye. The Pipe Rolls were records of financial accounts kept by the English Exchequer, suggesting that the Sye family had some financial standing or dealings with the Crown at the time.

In the 14th century, the surname appears to have evolved into its modern spelling, with records showing variants such as "Sye" and "Syee." One notable individual from this period was Sir John Sye, a knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He participated in several campaigns against the French and was recorded as a landowner in Wiltshire in the 1360s.

During the 16th century, the surname continued to be present in various parts of England. One example is Thomas Sye, a merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, who was born in 1532 and died in 1597. Another notable figure was Elizabeth Sye, a writer and poet who lived in the late 16th century and published a collection of poems titled "The Garland of Virtuous Ladies" in 1591.

In the 17th century, the Sye family had spread to other parts of the country, including London. One prominent individual was Sir Robert Sye, a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London, who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1663.

As the centuries progressed, the surname continued to be found in various regions of England, with individuals such as John Sye, a renowned architect from Oxfordshire who designed several churches and country estates in the early 18th century, and William Sye, a notable physician and medical writer from Yorkshire, born in 1792.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sye

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

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

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

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