Nye: Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity

At a Glance: Name: Nye – Meaning: one who dwells by the island or river (English topographic surname) – Origin: English (topographic surname) – Gender: Boy


Nye is an English (topographic surname) boy's name meaning “one who dwells by the island or river (English topographic surname)”. It appears in 3 of our baby name lists.

Meaning & Origin of Nye

Meaning: One who dwells by the island or river (English topographic surname).

Origin: English (topographic surname).

A common claim: Nye is Welsh, meaning 'honor' or 'radiance' (as a short form of Aneirin) Actually: Nye is actually an English topographic surname meaning roughly '(dweller) at the island/river,' not a Welsh word for 'honor' or 'radiance'; the Welsh association likely comes from its separate, informal use as a nickname for Aneirin.

Source: Wiktionary.

Popularity of Nye

Nye doesn’t appear in U.S. Social Security birth records, which include every name given to at least five babies in a year — so it’s rare in the U.S.

Lists That Include Nye

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