Explore the Family Name Hayes
The meaning of Hayes
1. Irish (Cork): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hAodha ‘descendant of Aodh’, a personal name meaning ‘fire’. Compare McCoy. In some cases especially in County Wexford, the surname is of English origin (see below), having been taken to Ireland by the Normans. 2. English: variant of Hay, with post-medieval excrescent -s. 3. English: topographic name from the plural form of Middle English hay(e), heye, heghe ‘enclosure’ (see Hay), sometimes used as a collective noun for a farm, especially in Devon, where it is a frequent minor placename. Compare Hain. 4. English: habitational name from either of two places called Hayes (Middlesex, Kent) or a topographic name for someone who lived near land overgrown with brushwood or underwood, especially young oak or beech. The etymon in each case is Old English hǣse hēse, Middle English hese ‘brushwood’, which is also the source of the lost minor placename Heys in Hellingly (Sussex), Northease and Southease (Sussex), and Heys Wood (Kent). 5. English (of Norman origin): habitational name from one of the French hamlets named La Haise (Eure, Ille-et-Vilaine, Sarthe). The original sense, like that of Old English hǣse (see 4 above), was ‘land overgrown with brushwood or underwood’, and the Norman and English names are difficult to tell apart. The French surname was reintroduced to England after 1685 by Huguenots. 6. English: variant of Ace with hypercorrect initial H-. 7. French: topographic name for someone who lived by an enclosure, a variant (plural) of Haye. Compare Deshayes. 8. Jewish (Ashkenazic): metronymic from Yiddish name Khaye ‘life’ + the Yiddish possessive suffix -s. History: US President Rutherford B. Hayes (1822–93), born in Delaware, OH, was descended from old New England families on both sides. Through the paternal line he was descended from George Hayes, who emigrated from Scotland in 1680 and settled in Windsor, CT.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hayes in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Hayes has experienced a slight decrease in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, Hayes was ranked as the 117th most popular surname, but by 2010 it fell to the 127th position, reflecting an 8.55% drop. However, the actual count of individuals with the Hayes surname increased from 187,473 in 2000 to 194,246 in 2010, indicating a growth rate of about 3.61%. The proportion per 100,000 people also declined from 69.5 in 2000 to 65.85 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #117 | #127 | -8.55% |
| Count | 187,473 | 194,246 | 3.61% |
| Proportion per 100k | 69.5 | 65.85 | -5.25% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hayes
When considering the ethnic identity linked with the surname Hayes, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts between 2000 and 2010. Individuals identifying as White formed the bulk of the Hayes population, although their proportion decreased slightly from 71.64% in 2000 to 69.38% in 2010. Those identifying as Black increased marginally from 24.05% to 24.69%. Notably, there were significant increases among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.38% to 0.49%), Hispanic (from 1.48% to 2.29%), and those reporting two or more races (from 1.71% to 2.34%). American Indian and Alaskan Natives also saw a rise in representation from 0.73% to 0.81%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 71.64% | 69.38% | -3.15% |
| Black | 24.05% | 24.69% | 2.66% |
| Two or More Races | 1.71% | 2.34% | 36.84% |
| Hispanic | 1.48% | 2.29% | 54.73% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.73% | 0.81% | 10.96% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.38% | 0.49% | 28.95% |
Hayes 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 Hayes is British & Irish, which comprises 55.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.8%) and Eastern European (3.7%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.1% |
| French & German | 20.8% |
| Eastern European | 3.7% |
| Other | 20.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Hayes
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 Hayes have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.90% |
What Hayes 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 Hayes is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M420 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Wilson, Thompson, Taylor, Brown, Martin, Clark, White, Young, Roberts.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Hayes 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 Hayes 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.
"Hayes" Surname 41.4%
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.
"Hayes" Surname 27.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Hayes" Surname 24.2%
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.
"Hayes" Surname 18.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Hayes?
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 Hayes are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition