Way Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Way Name Meaning: This is a topographic name for somebody who lived near a road or path. Old english 'Weg'. Perhaps habitational from a minor place named with this word i.e Waye in Devon.

This English surname could be given to someone who resided near a road or path,or someone who belonged to a place named Way or Waye.

Discover how your Way 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

Buckinghamshire 15
Carnarvonshire 1
Cambridgeshire 4
Channel Islands 11
Cheshire 2
Cornwall 28
Cumberland 2
Derbyshire 3
Devon 576
Dorset 364
Essex 31
Glamorgan 11
Gloucestershire 89
Hampshire 276
Herefordshire 1
Hertfordshire 36
Hunts and Rutland 8
Kent 12
Lancashire 14
Leicestershire 2
Lincolnshire 8
London 255
Middlesex 11
Monmouthshire 3
Northumberland 1
Norfolk 16
Northamptonshire 6
Nottinghamshire 1
Oxfordshire 47
Pembrokeshire 12
Shropshire 2
Suffolk 2
Somerset 202
Surrey 5
Sussex 4
Staffordshire 3
Warwickshire 21
Wiltshire 8
Yorkshire 17
Anglesey 0
Bedfordshire 0
Brecknockshire 0
Berkshire 0
Cardiganshire 0
Carmarthenshire 0
Denbighshire 0
Durham 0
Flintshire 0
Isle of Man 0
Merionethshire 0
Montgomeryshire 0
Radnorshire 0
Westmorland 0
Worcestershire 0

Way Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Way family

Profession Census Frequency
Agricultural Labourer 110
Female Servant 76
Independent 63
Labourer 33
Farmer 28
Male Servant 25
Shoe Maker 20
Butcher 17
Tailor 12
Apprentice 11
Carpenter 11
Ag Labourer 11
Weaver 10
Baker 9
Independant 8
Grocer 8
Inmate 8
Yeoman 8
Pupil 7
Ag Lab 7
Mariner 6
Painter 6
Miller 6
Sawyer 5
Quarry Man 5

Most Frequent Forenames for Way

Name Census Frequency
William Way 1,660
Mary Way 1,639
John Way 1,406
Elizabeth Way 1,093
George Way 972
Sarah Way 715
Henry Way 693
Thomas Way 671
James Way 666
Charles Way 559
Ann Way 460
Robert Way 454
Jane Way 408
Alice Way 363
Ellen Way 356
Eliza Way 351
Emma Way 345
Frederick Way 322
Joseph Way 314
Edward Way 311
Emily Way 306
Arthur Way 297
Annie Way 269
Alfred Way 256
Richard Way 241

Way Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Way 100% 25,241
2 Wye 33% 2,885
3 Weigh 20% 1,068
4 Wey 67% 808
5 Waye 75% 741
6 Waigh 40% 272
7 Whay 75% 163
8 Away 75% 136
9 Weay 75% 126

Did you know?

The surname Way is the most popular version of all its varients

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