NameCensus.

UK surname

Bay

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived or worked near a bay or inlet.

In the 1881 census there were 124 people recorded with the Bay surname, ranking it #17,429 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 343, ranked #13,368, up from #17,429 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, St Leonard Shoreditch and Shorwell, Brixton, Kingston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newham, Lambeth and Hackney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bay is 343 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 176.6%.

1881 census count

124

Ranked #17,429

Modern count

343

2016, ranked #13,368

Peak year

2016

343 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bay had 124 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,429 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 343 in 2016, ranked #13,368.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 215 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Bay surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bay surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bay surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bay over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 215 #9,860
1881 historical 124 #17,429
1891 historical 8 #33,550
1901 historical 134 #19,288
1997 modern 201 #17,564
1998 modern 205 #17,850
1999 modern 202 #18,127
2000 modern 204 #17,987
2001 modern 192 #18,388
2002 modern 197 #18,474
2003 modern 198 #18,252
2004 modern 197 #18,368
2005 modern 194 #18,512
2006 modern 201 #18,226
2007 modern 227 #17,041
2008 modern 239 #16,583
2009 modern 242 #16,789
2010 modern 257 #16,476
2011 modern 253 #16,493
2012 modern 303 #14,415
2013 modern 322 #14,037
2014 modern 333 #13,770
2015 modern 336 #13,593
2016 modern 343 #13,368

Geography

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Where Bays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, St Leonard Shoreditch, Shorwell, Brixton, Kingston, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newham, Lambeth, Hackney and Basildon. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Prestbury Cheshire
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 Shorwell, Brixton, Kingston Hampshire
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newham 029 Newham
2 Lambeth 006 Lambeth
3 Hackney 010 Hackney
4 Basildon 001 Basildon
5 Hackney 029 Hackney

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bay

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bay surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bay

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bay, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Bay surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Bay household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Bay is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bay is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bay falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bay is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bay, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bay

The surname BAY is of Germanic origin, derived from the Old English word "baeg" or the Old German "boge," meaning a ring or curve. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a curved or ring-shaped geographical feature, such as a bay or a bend in a river.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BAY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Baia." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname BAY appears in various forms, including "de la Baye" and "atte Baye," indicating that it was often associated with specific place names, such as bays or harbors. This practice was common during the medieval period when surnames were still evolving.

One notable historical figure with the surname BAY was Sir John Bay, a 15th-century English judge and Member of Parliament, who lived from around 1420 to 1501. He served as Chief Justice of the King's Bench under King Henry VII.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Alexander Bay, a 17th-century Scottish merchant and colonist, born around 1635. He was one of the founders of the Stuyvesant Colony in what is now New York, and played a significant role in the early development of the region.

In the 18th century, the surname BAY gained further prominence with the birth of Thomas Bay in 1762, an English philosopher and writer who was a proponent of utilitarianism and social reform. His works influenced the ideas of philosophers such as Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.

Moving into the 19th century, we find Andrew Bay, a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician, born in 1803. He was a prominent figure in the early development of Toronto and served as the city's mayor from 1857 to 1859.

Finally, one of the most famous individuals with the surname BAY was Michael Bay, the renowned American film director and producer, born in 1965. He is best known for directing blockbuster action films such as "Armageddon," "Pearl Harbor," and the "Transformers" franchise.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bay families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bay surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 53 Bays recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.21x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 53 4.21x
Kent 14 3.26x
Lancashire 11 0.74x
Hampshire 10 3.88x
Cheshire 9 3.24x
Lanarkshire 4 0.98x
Perthshire 4 7.08x
Surrey 3 0.49x
Warwickshire 3 0.95x
Cambridgeshire 2 2.51x
Somerset 2 0.99x
Angus 1 0.86x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.31x
Derbyshire 1 0.51x
Devon 1 0.38x
Durham 1 0.27x
Hertfordshire 1 1.15x
Monmouthshire 1 1.10x
Norfolk 1 0.52x
Oxfordshire 1 1.29x
Renfrewshire 1 1.03x
Staffordshire 1 0.24x
Sussex 1 0.47x
Wiltshire 1 0.90x
Worcestershire 1 0.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 29 Bays recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.06x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 29 53.06x
Sutton In Macclesfield 9 312.50x
Oldham 8 16.60x
St Marylebone London 6 8.93x
Islington London 5 4.10x
Northfleet 5 132.28x
Barony 4 3.88x
Shoreditch London 4 7.33x
St Margarets At Cliffe 4 1538.46x
Thorley 4 5000.00x
Tulliallan 4 416.67x
Ash Next Sandwich 3 315.79x
Aston 3 3.43x
Brixton 2 952.38x
Edmonton 2 19.72x
Manchester 2 2.98x
Portsea 2 3.96x
St Andrewthe Less 2 21.98x
St George In East London 2 16.91x
Acton 1 13.55x
Amersham 1 92.59x
Andover 1 40.98x
Betchworth 1 131.58x
Brassington 1 333.33x
Bromley 1 15.29x
Camberwell 1 1.24x
Compton 1 588.24x
Crewkerne 1 46.51x
Crowcombe 1 526.32x
Dummer 1 588.24x
Dundee 1 2.30x
Eastry 1 166.67x
Great Yarmouth 1 6.24x
Hackney London 1 1.42x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 64.10x
Lambeth 1 0.91x
Liverpool 1 1.10x
Newcastle Under Lyme 1 13.30x
Newport 1 23.04x
Paisley Low Church 1 32.36x
Rock 1 151.52x
Shenley 1 175.44x
St George Bloomsbury 1 13.85x
St Martin In Fields 1 13.28x
St Pancras London 1 0.99x
Swindon 1 11.59x
Thame 1 70.92x
Westoe 1 4.71x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bay surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 8
Sarah 8
Jane 6
Alice 4
Elizabeth 4
Martha 3
Ann 2
Anne 2
Caroline 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Hannah 2
Julia 2
Lucy 2
Margaret 2
Ada 1
Annie 1
Belinda 1
Cat. 1
Eleanor 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Harriett 1
Josephine 1
Kathleen 1
Laura 1
M.A. 1
Matilda 1
Rosina 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bay surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 11
George 7
John 7
James 4
Charles 3
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Harry 2
Robert 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Frederick 1
Frederk. 1
Jacob 1
Jean 1
Joseph 1
Kemp 1
Lewis 1
Samuel 1

FAQ

Bay surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bay surname in 1881?

In 1881, 124 people were recorded with the Bay surname. That placed it at #17,429 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bay surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 343 in 2016. That gives Bay a modern rank of #13,368.

What does the Bay surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived or worked near a bay or inlet.

What does the Bay map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bay bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.