NameCensus.

UK surname

Nye

A surname of English origin referring to someone who lived near an island, from Middle English "ey" meaning "island."

In the 1881 census there were 1,870 people recorded with the Nye surname, ranking it #2,328 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,606, ranked #2,551, down from #2,328 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lewes, Brighton and Hove and Mid Sussex.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nye is 2,768 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.4%.

1881 census count

1,870

Ranked #2,328

Modern count

2,606

2016, ranked #2,551

Peak year

1999

2,768 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nye had 1,870 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,328 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,606 in 2016, ranked #2,551.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,448 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Nye surname distribution map

The map shows where the Nye surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Nye surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nye over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,147 #2,460
1881 historical 1,870 #2,328
1891 historical 2 #34,436
1901 historical 2,448 #2,226
1997 modern 2,646 #2,407
1998 modern 2,734 #2,423
1999 modern 2,768 #2,413
2000 modern 2,755 #2,413
2001 modern 2,703 #2,404
2002 modern 2,704 #2,453
2003 modern 2,619 #2,468
2004 modern 2,642 #2,453
2005 modern 2,579 #2,471
2006 modern 2,542 #2,511
2007 modern 2,563 #2,512
2008 modern 2,586 #2,510
2009 modern 2,677 #2,480
2010 modern 2,704 #2,518
2011 modern 2,682 #2,504
2012 modern 2,587 #2,546
2013 modern 2,662 #2,526
2014 modern 2,682 #2,523
2015 modern 2,632 #2,541
2016 modern 2,606 #2,551

Geography

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Where Nyes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough, Lambeth and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lewes, Brighton and Hove, Mid Sussex and Horsham. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lewes 003 Lewes
2 Brighton and Hove 025 Brighton and Hove
3 Brighton and Hove 001 Brighton and Hove
4 Mid Sussex 013 Mid Sussex
5 Horsham 003 Horsham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nye

These lists show first names that appear often with the Nye surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nye

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Nye, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Nye surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Nye household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Nye is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Nye is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Nye falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Nye is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Nye, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of 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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nye families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nye surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Sussex leads with 468 Nyes recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.20x.

County Total Index
Sussex 468 15.20x
Kent 454 7.29x
Surrey 401 4.51x
Middlesex 362 1.98x
Essex 49 1.36x
Lancashire 44 0.20x
Hampshire 21 0.56x
Yorkshire 11 0.06x
Berkshire 10 0.73x
Hertfordshire 10 0.79x
Durham 7 0.13x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.24x
Northamptonshire 5 0.29x
Warwickshire 5 0.11x
Shropshire 4 0.25x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.12x
Dorset 2 0.17x
Wiltshire 2 0.12x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.09x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.09x
Cheshire 1 0.02x
Gloucestershire 1 0.03x
Norfolk 1 0.04x
Northumberland 1 0.04x
Royal Navy 1 0.46x
Staffordshire 1 0.02x
Suffolk 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 124 Nyes recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.96x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 124 19.96x
Lambeth 70 4.40x
Tonbridge 70 31.15x
Camberwell 46 3.94x
Chatham 40 23.34x
Hastings St Mary 35 45.68x
St Pancras London 34 2.31x
Islington London 33 1.86x
Rochester St Margaret 31 47.18x
Newington 29 4.30x
Paddington London 29 4.32x
Gillingham 28 21.80x
Bromley 27 28.43x
St Marylebone London 27 2.77x
West Ham 27 3.39x
Bermondsey 25 4.60x
Croydon 23 4.66x
Ealing 23 14.09x
Clayton 21 181.03x
Hove 20 14.80x
Kingston On Thames 20 9.36x
Poplar London 20 5.80x
Hurstpierpoint 19 110.92x
Mile End Old Town 19 6.59x
Reigate Foreign 19 19.72x
Charlton 18 43.50x
Kensington London 18 1.77x
Lewes St Ann 18 171.76x
Penge 18 15.43x
Hackney London 17 1.66x
Sompting 17 399.06x
Chelsea London 16 2.91x
Maidstone 15 8.08x
Minster In Sheppey 15 14.53x
Bow London 14 6.02x
Chiddingstone 14 171.99x
Lindfield 14 107.61x
Godalming 13 23.21x
Horsham 13 21.74x
Keymer 13 59.80x
Leigh 13 159.71x
Portsea 13 1.77x
St George Hanover 13 5.45x
Carshalton 12 35.24x
High Halden 12 301.51x
Southwark St George Martyr 12 3.27x
Toxteth Park 12 1.64x
Bethnal Green London 11 1.39x
Enfield 11 9.18x
Sevenoaks 11 21.78x
Bexhill 10 65.15x
Canterbury St Mary 10 23.92x
Hastings St Leonards 10 22.09x
Lewes St John Under 10 238.10x
Leyton 10 16.11x
Walton On Thames 10 24.47x
Wavertree 10 14.42x
Arundel 9 52.20x
Hamsey 9 259.37x
Horsemonden 9 98.90x
Lamberhurst 9 115.98x
Lingfield 9 51.90x
Shoreditch London 9 1.14x
West Grinstead 9 96.98x
Westminster St James 9 4.79x
Clerkenwell London 8 1.86x
Deptford St Paul 8 1.66x
Hadlow 8 51.78x
Ramsgate 8 7.87x
Stone In Tenterden 8 331.95x
Brenchley 7 31.39x
Fulham London 7 2.64x
Gravesend 7 13.27x
Hackington St Stephen 7 175.44x
Southwark St Thomas 7 143.44x
Speldhurst 7 22.07x
Stevenage 7 35.86x
Streatham 7 5.17x
Tatsfield 7 666.67x
West Derby 7 1.10x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Nye surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Nye surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 121
George 93
Henry 70
Thomas 63
James 57
Charles 47
John 47
Alfred 34
Edward 33
Frederick 23
Harry 20
Walter 19
Arthur 18
Robert 18
Joseph 16
Albert 15
Richard 13
Edwin 9
Herbert 9
Frank 8
Samuel 8
Ernest 7
Charlie 5
Jas. 5
Jesse 5
Stephen 5
Benjamin 4
Chas. 4
David 4
Fredk. 4
Geo. 4
Horace 4
Joshua 4
Ambrose 3
Bertie 3
Daniel 3
Edwd. 3
Francis 3
J. 3
Peter 3
Philip 3
Phillip 3
Wm. 3
Alexander 2
Ben 2
G. 2
Leopold 2
Mark 2
Montague 2
Percy 2

FAQ

Nye surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nye surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,870 people were recorded with the Nye surname. That placed it at #2,328 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nye surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,606 in 2016. That gives Nye a modern rank of #2,551.

What does the Nye surname mean?

A surname of English origin referring to someone who lived near an island, from Middle English "ey" meaning "island."

What does the Nye map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Nye bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.