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.| Bedfordshire | 0 |
| Buckinghamshire | 5 |
| Berkshire | 0 |
| Cambridgeshire | 20 |
| Channel Islands | 4 |
| Cheshire | 16 |
| Cornwall | 243 |
| Cumberland | 4 |
| Derbyshire | 9 |
| Devon | 352 |
| Dorset | 74 |
| Durham | 29 |
| Essex | 39 |
| Gloucestershire | 357 |
| Hampshire | 61 |
| Herefordshire | 45 |
| Hertfordshire | 2 |
| Huntingdonshire (and Rutland) | 1 |
| Isle of Man | 0 |
| Kent | 56 |
| Lancashire | 95 |
| Leicestershire | 1 |
| Lincolnshire | 66 |
| London | 485 |
| Middlesex | 45 |
| Northumberland | 12 |
| Norfolk | 168 |
| Northamptonshire | 7 |
| Nottinghamshire | 38 |
| Oxfordshire | 3 |
| Rutland (and Huntingdonshire) | 1 |
| Shropshire | 2 |
| Suffolk | 22 |
| Somerset | 337 |
| Surrey | 34 |
| Sussex | 36 |
| Staffordshire | 46 |
| Warwickshire | 11 |
| Westmorland | 2 |
| Wiltshire | 224 |
| Worcestershire | 29 |
| Yorkshire | 63 |
| Anglesey | 0 |
| Brecknockshire | 4 |
| Cardiganshire | 0 |
| Carnarvonshire | 0 |
| Carmarthenshire | 11 |
| Denbighshire | 0 |
| Flintshire | 0 |
| Glamorgan | 49 |
| Merionethshire | 0 |
| Montgomeryshire | 0 |
| Monmouthshire | 42 |
| Pembrokeshire | 66 |
| Radnorshire | 0 |
| Profession | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 528 |
| Agricultural Labourer | 134 |
| Labourer | 50 |
| House Servant | 38 |
| Dress Maker | 38 |
| Coal Miner | 38 |
| Servant | 30 |
| Laundress | 30 |
| Carpenter | 22 |
| Mason | 22 |
| House Keeper | 20 |
| Carter | 19 |
| Blacksmith | 18 |
| Shoe Maker | 17 |
| General Servant | 16 |
| House Maid | 15 |
| Tailor | 14 |
| Domestic Servant | 14 |
| Cook | 14 |
| Woollen Cloth Worker | 11 |
| Milliner | 9 |
| Farm Servant | 8 |
| Farmer's Daughter | 8 |
| Baker | 8 |
| Pauper | 8 |
| Name | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| William Gay | 2,019 |
| Mary Gay | 2,009 |
| John Gay | 1,673 |
| Elizabeth Gay | 1,588 |
| George Gay | 1,383 |
| Sarah Gay | 972 |
| Thomas Gay | 922 |
| James Gay | 874 |
| Charles Gay | 738 |
| Henry Gay | 651 |
| Ann Gay | 604 |
| Jane Gay | 569 |
| Eliza Gay | 486 |
| Frederick Gay | 447 |
| Robert Gay | 430 |
| Emily Gay | 401 |
| Emma Gay | 400 |
| Joseph Gay | 370 |
| Ellen Gay | 362 |
| Alice Gay | 355 |
| Annie Gay | 338 |
| Alfred Gay | 333 |
| Albert Gay | 305 |
| Edward Gay | 299 |
| Richard Gay | 294 |