Explore the Family Name Gay
The meaning of Gay
1. English (southwestern), French, and Catalan: nickname for a lighthearted or cheerful person, from Middle English, Old French gai, Catalan gay ‘cheerful’. In Middle English the term could also mean ‘wanton, lascivious’ and this sense may lie behind the surname in some instances. 2. English (of Norman origin): habitational name from any of the places in Normandy called Gaye, from an early proprietor bearing an ancient Germanic personal name cognate with Wade. 3. Catalan: probably also from the personal name Gai (from Latin Gaius). 4. Galician: habitational name from Gai in the province of Lugo. 5. German: variant of Gau. 6. North German: from a Frisian personal name Gay. 7. Americanized form of Polish, Slovak, and Rusyn (from Slovakia) Gaj. 8. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 蓋 (see Gai 1) and 倪 (see Ni 1). History: A Congregational clergyman and one of the forerunners of the Unitarian movement in New England, Ebenezer Gay (1696–1787) was born in Dedham, MA, which had been founded by his grandfather, John Gay, who came to North America from Wiltshire, England, c.1630 and settled in Watertown, MA. Ebenezer’s great-grandson Howard was editor of the American Anti-Slavery Standard.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gay in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Gay saw a slight decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Gay was ranked as the 974th most popular surname in the United States. However, by 2010, it had slipped to the 1094th position, marking a 12.32% drop in rank. The count of individuals with this surname also decreased slightly, from 32,672 in 2000 to 32,025 in 2010, a decrease of 1.98%. This resulted in a lessening of its proportion per 100k people, going from 12.11 in 2000 to 10.86 in 2010, a decrease of 10.32%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #974 | #1,094 | -12.32% |
| Count | 32,672 | 32,025 | -1.98% |
| Proportion per 100k | 12.11 | 10.86 | -10.32% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gay
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Gay. From 2000 to 2010, there were observable changes among different ethnic groups. The Asian/Pacific Islander group saw the most significant increase, rising from 0.65% to 1.84%, a change of 183.08%. There was also an increase in the percentage of those identifying as two or more races and those identifying as Hispanic, with increases of 28.08% and 26.09% respectively. The proportion of people with the surname Gay who identified as White declined by 4.19%, while the Black population increased by 4.70%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native populations remained relatively stable, seeing a minor decrease of 1.35%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 73.81% | 70.72% | -4.19% |
| Black | 21.5% | 22.51% | 4.7% |
| Hispanic | 1.84% | 2.32% | 26.09% |
| Two or More Races | 1.46% | 1.87% | 28.08% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.65% | 1.84% | 183.08% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.74% | 0.73% | -1.35% |
Gay ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Gay is British & Irish, which comprises 55.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.2%) and Eastern European (4.1%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Italian, Scandinavian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Spanish & Portuguese.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.0% |
| French & German | 21.2% |
| Eastern European | 4.1% |
| Other | 19.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Gay
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Gay have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 84.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 83.70% |
What Gay haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Gay is R-CTS4065, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS4065 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-FGC15710, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Wilder, Bristow, Duke, Allison, Rye, Buck, Barker, Navarro, Lloyd, Oliver.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Gay surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Gay have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Gay" Surname 44.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Gay" Surname 20.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Gay" Surname 24.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Gay" Surname 19.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Gay?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Gay are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition