Explore the Family Name Cay

The meaning of Cay

1. Scottish (Aberdeenshire): variant of Kay. 2. Turkish (Çay): ornamental or topographic name from çay ‘creek, brook’, or an ornamental name, nickname or metonymic occupational name from the homonym çay ‘tea’. 3. Filipino: unexplained.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Cay in the United States?

According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Cay has seen a slight increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked the 53,047th most common name in the United States, but by 2010, it had climbed to the 50,362nd position, reflecting a change of 5.06%. The number of individuals bearing this surname also rose from 366 in 2000 to 415 in 2010, an increase of 13.39%. However, the proportion per 100k people remained steady at 0.14.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#53,047	#50,362	5.06%
Count	366	415	13.39%
Proportion per 100k	0.14	0.14	0%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cay

The Decennial U.S. Census provides some interesting insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Cay. Between 2000 and 2010, there has been a noticeable shift in the ethnicities carrying this surname. Asian/Pacific Islander representation increased by 22.83%, from 13.93% to 17.11%, while those identifying as two or more races have also emerged at 2.41% in 2010. The percentage of white individuals with the surname decreased from 46.72% to 40.00%, a decrease of 14.38%. The Hispanic demographic saw an increase from 22.40% to 24.34%. The Black population showed a modest rise from 13.93% to 14.70%, and lastly, American Indian and Alaskan Native appeared in the 2010 data at 1.45%.

	2000	2010	Change
White	46.72%	40%	-14.38%
Hispanic	22.4%	24.34%	8.66%
Asian/Pacific Islander	13.93%	17.11%	22.83%
Black	13.93%	14.7%	5.53%
Two or More Races	0%	2.41%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	1.45%	0%