Gay Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Gay Name Meaning: A nickname for a cheerfull or or roisterous person.Middle english ga(i)le 'jovial','rowdy'.Old english gal 'merry',reinforced by old French 'gail'.

The name is of English origin.Introduced by the Normans as 'Geil'.

Discover how your Gay ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Gay Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Gay family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 804
Agricultural Labourer 92
Coal Miner 70
Dress Maker 46
Domestic Servant 45
Labourer 42
General Labourer 41
General Servant 38
Laundress 30
Farm Labourer 23
General Servant Domestic 21
Boot Maker 19
Carpenter 19
Tailoress 19
Shoe Maker 18
House Keeper 15
Annuitant 12
Painter 11
Servant 10
Gardener 10
Errand Boy 9
General Domestic Servant 9
Mason 9
Cook Domestic 8
Farm Servant Indoor 8

Gay Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Guy 67% 41,997
2 Gay 100% 31,655
3 Goy 67% 3,073
4 Gaye 75% 823
5 Gye 33% 636
6 Geay 75% 199
7 Gey 67% 184
8 Guay 75% 138

Did you know?

The surname Gay is the 2nd most popular variant of Guy.

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