I would like to know the origin of my last name... I keep searching but come up

Question:my last name is nye
all i can find is chinease emperors
and i'm not chinease at all
i have naturally platinum blond hair and blue eyes
i've never been informed of my ancestors...
need help?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: my last name is nye
all i can find is chinease emperors
and i'm not chinease at all
i have naturally platinum blond hair and blue eyes
i've never been informed of my ancestors...
need help?

According to my reference book "The Origins of our Surnames" Shelley Klein
Nye - from Old English, meaning a "dweller by a stream"
I had my DNA tested by Oxford Ancestors and found that my original ancestors were listed as "Asian" and my Clan Mother was someone they have called Una, but I believe that was some 20,000 years ago, so we don't look like modern-day Asiatics.

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Nye has been recorded under many different variations, including Nye, Nie, Nay, Ney and others.

First found in Essex, where they were established early in the medieval period.

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Nye or a variant listed above: Seth W. Nye settled in New Orleans in 1822; Benjamin Nye settled in New England in 1635; Ann, Daniel B. Nye Jr. and Francis H. Nye settled in San Francisco Cal.

You might ask Bill Nye the Science Guy. Don't take the spelling literally, it could be nigh, neie, knae, or whatever.

Isn't "nye" an archaic form for "near"?

It looks like it is an English name, but it could also be Dutch, Swiss, Danish, or Finnish.

What you are coming up against are not so much 'lies' but contradictions. There is a reason for this... there can be many different origins for ANY name. Of course, this idea goes contrary to what most of us assume, when starting research.
Another assumption is that my last name is <fill in the blank>, thus it MEANS that this is my heritage. NOT true at all. Your last name is only ONE part of your background. Use your father and mother as the simple explanation... you are equally part of both of them and their ancestry. Your surname only comes from Dad's side. Take that back a few generations... you have 8 gr grandparents, each are different, and only one has the surname.
Your name could be (like many are), a variation of something else. For example, many East European names became something different. This is true of other names as well.
The bottom line is that you need to separate your surname from your ancestry. They are distinct issues or topics.
You'll find many places online that will claim to give you the origin of a surname... experienced researchers do their best to warn you away from those, especially if they have things for sale (ie family crests, and history of 'your' surname). Simple logic should tell you that if they want to sell you something, they are very likely to misrepresent it.
What you can do that is reliable, is to actually trace the persons who are your actual ancestors. Don't get hung up on origin or meaning of your name.

If your last name was Lee you would have two choices - Chinese or European, just like some restaurants. "Lies" is the worng word to use. There are Chinese Nyes and English ones.

This goes to show you - surname origins are no substitute for real research.

This is what www.ancestry.com had to say about your surname.

Nye
English (southeastern): topographic name arising from a misdivision of Middle English atten (e)ye which means either ‘at the river’ or ‘at the island’, from Old English ea ‘river’ and eg ‘island’ respectively. Both these words were feminine in Old English, and so should have been preceded only by Middle English atter (see Rye), but distinctions of gender ceased to be carefully maintained in the Middle English period.

Hope this helps.