Hay Name Meaning: Originates from the English word 'haeg' or 'hey' meaning enclosure or someone who lived by one. Also may have come from the Norman word ' hay' meaning 'hedge'. May have also come from the English 'hay' or 'hey' meaning 'tall'.
A nickname for someone 'tall', also a habitional name for someone who lived near in an an enclosed are of forest or similar, was also associated with the Norman word meaning 'hedge' so may have meant someone who lived near a hedge.
Discover how your Hay ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.| Bedfordshire | 3 |
| Buckinghamshire | 14 |
| Berkshire | 23 |
| Cambridgeshire | 1 |
| Channel Islands | 9 |
| Cheshire | 81 |
| Cornwall | 36 |
| Cumberland | 34 |
| Derbyshire | 67 |
| Devon | 58 |
| Dorset | 15 |
| Durham | 299 |
| Essex | 81 |
| Gloucestershire | 72 |
| Hampshire | 56 |
| Herefordshire | 25 |
| Hertfordshire | 24 |
| Huntingdonshire (and Rutland) | 11 |
| Isle of Man | 18 |
| Kent | 21 |
| Lancashire | 677 |
| Leicestershire | 0 |
| Lincolnshire | 68 |
| London | 657 |
| Middlesex | 43 |
| Northumberland | 313 |
| Norfolk | 31 |
| Northamptonshire | 7 |
| Nottinghamshire | 28 |
| Oxfordshire | 16 |
| Rutland (and Huntingdonshire) | 11 |
| Shropshire | 32 |
| Suffolk | 12 |
| Somerset | 41 |
| Surrey | 21 |
| Sussex | 24 |
| Staffordshire | 37 |
| Warwickshire | 38 |
| Westmorland | 0 |
| Wiltshire | 12 |
| Worcestershire | 73 |
| Yorkshire | 464 |
| Anglesey | 0 |
| Brecknockshire | 7 |
| Cardiganshire | 2 |
| Carnarvonshire | 1 |
| Carmarthenshire | 10 |
| Denbighshire | 2 |
| Flintshire | 0 |
| Glamorgan | 21 |
| Merionethshire | 0 |
| Montgomeryshire | 0 |
| Monmouthshire | 3 |
| Pembrokeshire | 98 |
| Radnorshire | 1 |
| Profession | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 421 |
| House Servant | 74 |
| Agricultural Labourer | 69 |
| Labourer | 45 |
| At Home | 41 |
| Coal Miner | 41 |
| Servant | 41 |
| Dress Maker | 32 |
| Annuitant | 32 |
| Farm Labourer | 25 |
| Scholar At Home | 23 |
| Weaver | 23 |
| House Keeper | 22 |
| Carpenter | 19 |
| Gardener | 19 |
| General Servant | 19 |
| Pauper | 16 |
| Butcher | 16 |
| Errand Boy | 14 |
| Home | 14 |
| Farmer | 13 |
| Laundress | 13 |
| Farm Servant | 12 |
| Tailor | 12 |
| Blacksmith | 11 |
| Name | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| John Hay | 2,550 |
| Mary Hay | 2,529 |
| William Hay | 2,452 |
| James Hay | 1,579 |
| Elizabeth Hay | 1,572 |
| Thomas Hay | 1,333 |
| George Hay | 1,187 |
| Sarah Hay | 1,036 |
| Jane Hay | 840 |
| Margaret Hay | 830 |
| Ann Hay | 813 |
| Robert Hay | 797 |
| Henry Hay | 650 |
| Charles Hay | 628 |
| Alice Hay | 526 |
| Annie Hay | 460 |
| Joseph Hay | 416 |
| Ellen Hay | 415 |
| Edward Hay | 404 |
| Hannah Hay | 394 |
| Eliza Hay | 380 |
| Isabella Hay | 335 |
| Catherine Hay | 322 |
| Emma Hay | 322 |
| Martha Hay | 316 |
| Rank | Surname | Match | Census Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haigh | 40% | 72,994 |
| 2 | Hay | 100% | 36,760 |
| 3 | Hey | 67% | 19,967 |
| 4 | Hoy | 67% | 10,486 |
| 5 | Haye | 75% | 3,944 |
| 6 | Hoye | 50% | 2,358 |
| 7 | Hoey | 50% | 1,720 |
| 8 | Heay | 75% | 425 |
| 9 | Huey | 50% | 403 |
| 10 | Hye | 33% | 380 |
| 11 | Huy | 67% | 255 |
The surname Hay is the 2nd most popular variant of Haigh.