Explore the Family Name Stay

The meaning of Stay

1. English: nickname for a supportive person, from Middle English staye ‘support, prop’ (Old French estaye). 2. Americanized form of French Jetté (see Jette).

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname 'Stay' has seen an increase in its popularity from 2000 to 2010. The rank of the surname moved up from 29181 in 2000 to 28263 in 2010, a 3.15% change. The count of individuals with the surname also increased during the decade, with a 10.59% rise from 765 in 2000 to 846 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion per 100k people saw a minimal increase of 3.57%, indicating that the surname 'Stay' is becoming more common.

20002010Change
Rank#29,181#28,2633.15%
Count76584610.59%
Proportion per 100k0.280.293.57%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Stay

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of people with the 'Stay' surname identifying as White decreased by 2.06%, while those identifying as Black experienced a significant growth of 23.26%. There was a small increase in the Hispanic category, trending upwards by 8.40%. Interestingly, no people with this surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2000, but by 2010, these groups made up 1.06% and 1.30% respectively. Lastly, the group identifying as Two or more races witnessed a slight increase of 4.12%.

20002010Change
White92.81%90.9%-2.06%
Black2.88%3.55%23.26%
Two or More Races1.7%1.77%4.12%
Hispanic1.31%1.42%8.4%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%1.3%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%1.06%0%