Explore the Family Name Hay
The meaning of Hay
1. Scottish and English (northern; of Norman origin): habitational name from any of several places in Normandy called La Haie or La Haye (Old French haie ‘hedge, enclosure’, ‘forest for hunting deer and other animals’, a borrowing of the ancient Germanic word haga). Robert de Haia or de la Haye is known to have come from La Haye-du-Puits in Manche; he was the founder of Boxgrove Priory in Sussex (1123), and holder of the Honor of Halnaker (Sussex) and (by marriage) the barony of Kolswein (Lincolnshire). The Norman name was also taken to Ireland, where it has since flourished in the county of Wexford as Hay and Hayes. Elsewhere in Ireland the name usually has a native Irish origin, see below. 2. English: topographic name from Middle English hay(e), heye, heghe ‘enclosure’ (Old English (ge)hæg) or ‘forest fenced off for hunting’ (Old French haie); or else a habitational name from a place so called, such as Hay (in Herefordshire and Westmorland) or Hey in Scammonden (Yorkshire). It was no doubt sometimes synonymous with Hayward. 3. English: nickname for a tall man, from Middle English heigh, hey, high ‘high, tall’ (Old English hēah). 4. English: from the Middle English personal name Hai(e), either an Anglo-Norman French or a native English name. Old French Hai is recorded in the Latin form Haius in 11th/12th-century Paris and is a pet form of ancient Germanic male names like Hagabert (Old French Haiebert) and Hagabern) which have an element hag- ‘right-handed, useful’ as the first element. Alternatively, these early surnames may be pet forms of a native Middle English male name like Heymund (Old English Hēahmund) or a female name like Hehild (Old English Hēahhild) which have hēah ‘high’ as the first element. In the late 13th and 14th centuries, however, it is possible that Hay was a variant of Haw, which, like Daw and Day, was used as a rhyming pet form of Ralph. Compare Dawkins and Dakin, and see Haycock. 5. Irish: variant of Hayes. 6. Spanish: topographic name from haya ‘beech tree’ (ultimately derived from Latin fagus). 7. German: occupational name from Middle High German heie ‘guardian, custodian’ (see Hayer). 8. Dutch: variant of Haye 1. This surname is rare in the Netherlands. 9. French: topographic name from the masculine form of Old French haye ‘hedge’, or a habitational name from Les Hays (Jura) or Le Hay (Seine-Maritime). 10. Jewish (from the Middle East): from Hebrew ḥay ‘living’, either from a personal name based on this word or a Hebraicized form of some original Ashkenazic surname. Compare Chay and Hai. 11. Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic hayy ‘alive’ (see Hai 1). 12. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 夏, possibly based on its Teochew or Hokkien pronunciation, see Xia. History: The surname Hay (see 1 above) has been established in Scotland since 1160. The principal family of the name are of Norman origin; they trace their descent from William de la Haye, who was Butler of Scotland in the reign of Malcolm IV (1153–65). They hold the titles marquess of Tweeddale, earl of Kinnoul, and earl of Erroll. The earl of Erroll also holds the hereditary office of constable of Scotland, first bestowed on the family by Robert I in 1314.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hay in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Hay has seen a subtle change in the first decade of the 21st century. In 2000, Hay ranked 1853rd among all surnames, and by 2010, it had fallen slightly to the 2005th position, indicating a small dip in popularity. Despite this, the total count of individuals with this surname increased from 17,824 to 18,029 over the same period, marking a slight growth rate of 1.15%. The proportion per 100k people also reduced marginally by 7.56%, from 6.61 in 2000 to 6.11 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,853 | #2,005 | -8.2% |
| Count | 17,824 | 18,029 | 1.15% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.61 | 6.11 | -7.56% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hay
When considering the ethnic identity associated with the name Hay, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. The largest group, those identifying as White, decreased by 1.71%, while those identifying as Hispanic saw the most significant increase of 39.39%. People identifying as Black also saw a modest increase of 4.85%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Two or more races also experienced growth, 9.69% and 26.36% respectively. However, the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased by 17.78%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.23% | 85.74% | -1.71% |
| Black | 6.81% | 7.14% | 4.85% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.58% | 2.83% | 9.69% |
| Hispanic | 1.65% | 2.3% | 39.39% |
| Two or More Races | 1.29% | 1.63% | 26.36% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.45% | 0.37% | -17.78% |
Hay 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 Hay is British & Irish, which comprises 53.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.1%) and Eastern European (4.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Chinese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.1% |
| French & German | 22.1% |
| Eastern European | 4.5% |
| Other | 20.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Hay
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 Hay have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 83.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 83.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 83.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 83.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.80% |
What Hay 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 Hay is R-M420, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M420 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS11824 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hays, Hayes, Yeager, Peters, Smith, Clark, Brown, Berry, White, Young.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Hay surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420
Your paternal lineage may be linked to Mal'Ta Boy
Buried with a variety of trinkets including an ivory crown and stone-hewn figurines, “Mal'Ta Boy” was a freckled three-year-old who lived 24,000 years ago near Lake Baikal in Siberia. Although Mal'Ta Boy's life was cut short by unknown circumstances, his genome contains important clues about the ancestors of modern Native Americans.From Mal'Ta Boy's bone samples, researchers determined that he carried paternal haplogroup R, an ancient lineage that is still relatively common in Western Europe, Central Asia, and South Asia. One striking discovery was that Mal'Ta Boy's genome showed affinities with both modern European and Native American populations, but not with modern East Asians. This suggests present-day Native Americans are likely descended from at least two source populations: one originating in East Asia and the other closely related to Mal'ta boy's Central Siberian roots.
Your 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 Hay 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.
"Hay" Surname 43.1%
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.
"Hay" Surname 29.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Hay" Surname 20.1%
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.
"Hay" Surname 19.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Hay?
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 Hay are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition