Bye Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

Bye Origin:

England, Ireland

Origins of Bye:

According to early recordings of the spellings of the surname, this name is in the form of By, Bye, Buy, and Buye. It is a name of Olde English pre 7th-century origins. It is residential name and represents one who lived by a ‘byge.’ It was an extended corner of a river, or maybe an element of the countryside like a hill or slope enlargement, which may have arisen to become crooked in some way. It is not believed to have related to a corner in a road, though this is imaginable as in these ancient times the first Roman roads from the 3rd century were in use. In its formation as ‘By,’ the name is in the British records and is one of a small group containing only two letters. There were others, such as Ea and Ay, which means one who lived by a river, but most are now unknown. It was recorded as Thomas filius Bye of Cambridge in the Hundred Rolls of 1279, and John Bye also of Cambridge in the year 1327. All other examples of the name at this time related to a person who was either de, de la, ate, or ‘in the’ bye, a clear relation to a location. These ancient examples consist of John ate Bey in the 1279 Hundred Rolls of Cambridge, Alicia de Bly of Berwick in 1266 and William in the By in the premium Rolls of Somerset, in the year 1327. In other examples derived from different revolutions consisting the marriage of Robert Bye and Susan Martin at the chapel of St Antholins, London in 1568, Robert Bye of London in the 1588 records of students of Oxford University, and in 1682, Grizwell Buy, married at St Lukes Chapel, Chelsea, London.

Variations:

More common variations are: Boye, Baye, Buye, Bwye, Beye, Biye, Byye, Byee, Bhye, Byie.

England:

The origins of the surname Bye appeared in Berwickshire where people held a family seat from early times.

The very first recording spelling of the family was shown to be that of Hugh de la Bye, dated about 1243, in the “ordinance assembly records of the division of Somerset.” It was during the time of King Henry III, who was known to be the “The Frenchman,” dated 1216 – 1272. The origin of surnames during this period became a necessity with the introduction of personal taxation.

Ireland:

Many of the people with surname Bye had moved to Ireland during the 17th century.

United States of America:

Individuals with the surname Bye settled in the United States in two different centuries respectively in the 17th and 18th. Some of the people with the name Bye who settled in the United States in the 17th century included John Bye and Thomas Bye; both settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania respectively in the years 1698 and 1699.

Some of the people with the surname Bye who settled in the United States in the 18th century included Margaret Bye who came to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the year 1701.

Australia:

Some of the people with the surname Bye who settled in Australia in the 19th century included Richard Bye, at the age of 18 he came to South Australia in the year 1852 aboard the ship “ Sibella.”

Here is the population distribution of the last name Bye: United States 4,665; England 2,339; Australia 1,018; Canada 1,041; South Africa 493; Wales 124; Germany 336; Sweden 116; Norway 2,872; France 257.

Notable People:

Erik Eriksson Bye was born in March 1926 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He passed away in October 2004. He was a Norwegian television performer, musician, and scholar. He grew up in Asker. Erik Bye was the son of opera musician Erik Ole Bye and Rønnaug Dahl. He studied English, journalism, and dramatics at the University of Wisconsin in the year 1953. He was a famous writer for the Associated Press (1953-1955), and the BBC’s Norwegian section in the year 1955 to 1958, and then at NRK.

Anders Mattias “Matti” Bye was born in July 1966 in Stockholm. He is a Swedish singer and writer, son of performer Birgitta Andersson and Norwegian author Anders Bye.

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

1) Notes: None. Blazon: Azure three bees volant en arriere argent (another, or). Crest—Two oak branches in saltire proper
2) Notes: None. Blazon: Quarterly, or and azure on a bend of the second three fleurs-de-lis of the first.