NameCensus.

UK surname

Hay

An English topographic surname for someone who lived near an enclosure or hedge, from Middle English hay meaning "fence."

In the 1881 census there were 3,577 people recorded with the Hay surname, ranking it #1,264 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 12,626, ranked #511, up from #1,264 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Turriff, Cullen, Portknockie, Findochty, Drybridge and Berryhillock and Buckie Central East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hay is 12,826 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 253.0%.

1881 census count

3,577

Ranked #1,264

Modern count

12,626

2016, ranked #511

Peak year

2000

12,826 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hay had 3,577 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,264 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 12,626 in 2016, ranked #511.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 12,625 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Hay surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hay surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hay 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 9,120 #292
1861 historical 14 #32,072
1881 historical 3,577 #1,264
1891 historical 7,849 #566
1901 historical 12,625 #414
1997 modern 12,380 #495
1998 modern 12,782 #501
1999 modern 12,804 #503
2000 modern 12,826 #499
2001 modern 12,416 #503
2002 modern 12,584 #508
2003 modern 12,265 #508
2004 modern 12,253 #509
2005 modern 12,218 #503
2006 modern 12,213 #503
2007 modern 12,243 #508
2008 modern 12,304 #511
2009 modern 12,588 #512
2010 modern 12,702 #514
2011 modern 12,549 #513
2012 modern 12,388 #510
2013 modern 12,591 #519
2014 modern 12,711 #518
2015 modern 12,613 #514
2016 modern 12,626 #511

Geography

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Where Hays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Glasgow and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Turriff, Cullen, Portknockie, Findochty, Drybridge and Berryhillock, Buckie Central East, Hartlepool and Longside and Rattray. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Turriff Aberdeenshire
2 Cullen, Portknockie, Findochty, Drybridge and Berryhillock Moray
3 Buckie Central East Moray
4 Hartlepool 002 Hartlepool
5 Longside and Rattray Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hay

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hay

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hay, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Hay surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Hay household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hay is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hay is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hay falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hay 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hay

The surname Hay originates from the Scottish Lowlands and is believed to have derived from a topographic name referring to an enclosed piece of ground or a meadow. The name can be traced back to the 12th century and is thought to have been derived from the Old English word "heg," meaning "hedge" or "enclosure."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hay appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name is also mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in the 14th century, indicating its widespread use across the country.

The Hay family played a significant role in Scottish history, with several notable members. Sir Gilbert de la Hay, born around 1285, was a prominent Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Another notable figure was Sir William Hay of Erroll, who lived in the 15th century and served as the Constable of Scotland.

In the 16th century, the Hays were an influential family in the Borders region of Scotland. One of the most well-known members was Alexander Hay, who was born in 1515 and served as the Secretary of State to Mary, Queen of Scots. He played a crucial role in the political affairs of the time and was involved in negotiating the Treaty of Edinburgh in 1560.

Another prominent figure was Sir John Hay, born in 1547, who was a Scottish diplomat and writer. He served as the Lord Chancellor of Scotland and was responsible for the Union of the Crowns in 1603, which united the kingdoms of Scotland and England under King James VI of Scotland (also known as James I of England).

The surname Hay has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Hay Castle in Peebleshire and the town of Hawick, which was originally known as "Haye-wick" in the 12th century, meaning "the village in the meadow."

It's worth noting that the Hay surname has been subject to various spellings throughout history, including Haye, Heye, and Haigh, reflecting the changes in language and pronunciation over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hay families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hay 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 1,298 Hays recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.08x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 1,298 13.08x
Lanarkshire 1,243 3.59x
Midlothian 1,062 7.40x
Middlesex 647 0.60x
Lancashire 479 0.38x
Angus 443 4.46x
Banffshire 433 19.48x
Northumberland 394 2.47x
Yorkshire 345 0.32x
Fife 333 5.25x
Ayrshire 326 4.07x
Durham 322 1.01x
Renfrewshire 283 3.41x
Morayshire 266 15.98x
Perthshire 244 5.07x
Stirlingshire 206 5.21x
Surrey 204 0.39x
Dunbartonshire 158 5.49x
Berwickshire 155 11.95x
Orkney 125 10.60x
Shetland 122 11.15x
Pembrokeshire 111 3.26x
Roxburghshire 103 5.31x
East Lothian 94 6.62x
Essex 89 0.42x
Cheshire 88 0.37x
Lincolnshire 77 0.45x
Kent 76 0.21x
Selkirkshire 74 7.63x
Sussex 72 0.40x
Argyllshire 69 2.31x
Kincardineshire 69 5.29x
Hampshire 59 0.27x
Worcestershire 57 0.41x
Gloucestershire 53 0.25x
Derbyshire 52 0.31x
Kirkcudbrightshire 49 3.16x
Inverness-shire 46 1.44x
Kinross-shire 46 16.98x
Staffordshire 40 0.11x
Glamorgan 35 0.19x
Ross-shire 33 1.12x
West Lothian 32 1.98x
Cumberland 29 0.31x
Nottinghamshire 29 0.20x
Devon 26 0.12x
Clackmannanshire 25 2.83x
Dumfriesshire 25 1.06x
Warwickshire 22 0.08x
Shropshire 21 0.23x
Buckinghamshire 20 0.31x
Caithness 20 1.36x
Somerset 19 0.11x
Berkshire 18 0.22x
Nairnshire 18 5.50x
Cambridgeshire 15 0.22x
Leicestershire 14 0.12x
Royal Navy 14 1.10x
Cornwall 13 0.11x
Bedfordshire 12 0.22x
Dorset 12 0.17x
Norfolk 12 0.07x
Carmarthenshire 11 0.24x
Wigtownshire 11 0.77x
Channel Islands 10 0.32x
Buteshire 7 1.08x
Hertfordshire 7 0.09x
Oxfordshire 7 0.11x
Wiltshire 7 0.07x
Anglesey 6 0.32x
Isle of Man 6 0.30x
Monmouthshire 6 0.08x
Peeblesshire 6 1.19x
Denbighshire 5 0.12x
Suffolk 5 0.04x
Brecknockshire 4 0.19x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.07x
Northamptonshire 2 0.02x
Rutland 1 0.13x
Sutherland 1 0.12x
Westmorland 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 511 Hays recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.85x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 511 8.85x
Govan 424 4.95x
Barony 303 3.46x
Aberdeen Old Machar 270 13.03x
Glasgow 237 3.85x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 222 11.96x
Dundee 186 5.02x
South Leith 117 7.24x
Rathven 106 25.39x
Peterhead 85 16.20x
Liff Benvie 80 5.31x
Islington London 68 0.65x
Cullen 66 80.13x
Dunfermline 61 6.25x
Falkirk 59 6.38x
Elgin 55 16.98x
Coylton 51 44.83x
New Kilpatrick 50 18.26x
Fyvie 49 30.26x
Cruden 48 37.57x
Perth East Church 46 10.15x
Galashiels 45 12.56x
Old Monkland 45 3.27x
Keith 44 18.57x
Cambusnethan 43 5.59x
Camberwell 42 0.61x
Edinburgh St Georges 42 14.10x
Everton 42 1.04x
St Vigeans 42 7.84x
Turriff 42 26.22x
Burntisland 41 23.12x
Neilston 41 9.84x
Leeds 40 0.67x
Mile End Old Town London 40 1.75x
Bishopwearmouth 39 1.43x
Lambeth 39 0.42x
Abbey 38 3.00x
Clerkenwell London 38 1.50x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 38 11.19x
Tweedmouth 36 18.11x
East Greenock 35 4.46x
Birkenhead 34 1.80x
Kilmarnock 34 3.56x
Newbattle 34 27.72x
West Ham 34 0.73x
Cathcart 33 7.35x
Gateshead 33 1.38x
North Leith 33 4.97x
St Pancras London 33 0.38x
Denny 32 15.23x
Duddingston 31 10.76x
Limehouse London 31 2.64x
Maryhill 31 4.57x
Portmoak 31 80.50x
Toxteth Park 31 0.72x
Fordyce 30 18.76x
Forfar 30 5.58x
Chirnside 28 50.36x
Inveresk 28 7.21x
Renfrew 28 10.21x
Ellon 27 19.79x
Kensington London 27 0.45x
Kirkintilloch 27 6.90x
Methlick 27 33.99x
St Ninians 27 6.89x
Ayr 26 6.87x
Battersea 26 0.66x
Bethnal Green London 26 0.56x
Boharm 26 59.52x
Gordon 26 84.80x
New Monkland 26 2.54x
St George Hanover Square 26 1.38x
Bothwell 25 2.66x
Bow London 25 1.83x
Cairney 25 43.25x
Edinburgh Canongate 25 6.84x
King Edward 25 21.86x
Shoreditch London 25 0.54x
Westgate 25 2.53x
Edinburgh St Marys 24 8.60x
Hartlepool 24 5.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 220
Elizabeth 139
Margaret 91
Jane 90
Sarah 86
Ann 57
Annie 53
Alice 47
Ellen 38
Isabella 37
Emma 36
Emily 33
Louisa 32
Eliza 30
Hannah 30
Martha 30
Agnes 29
Catherine 29
Charlotte 23
Caroline 22
Edith 22
Harriet 18
Fanny 16
Jessie 16
Clara 15
Frances 15
Susan 15
Helen 13
Lucy 13
Maria 13
Florence 12
Esther 11
Janet 11
Anne 10
Barbara 10
Eleanor 10
Matilda 10
Rose 10
Amelia 9
Julia 9
Ruth 9
Elizth. 7
Kate 7
Lizzie 7
Maud 7
Minnie 7
Rebecca 7
Ethel 6
Gertrude 6
Lilian 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 226
John 220
James 151
George 125
Thomas 123
Robert 108
Henry 70
Charles 63
Alexander 37
Arthur 31
Edward 30
Walter 30
Alfred 28
David 27
Joseph 26
Samuel 23
Richard 20
Frank 17
Herbert 17
Harry 16
Francis 14
Peter 14
Andrew 13
Frederick 13
Wm. 13
Thos. 12
Benjamin 10
Albert 8
Ernest 7
Adam 6
Jno. 6
Edgar 5
Edmund 5
Fred 5
Hugh 5
Michael 5
Archibald 4
Cecil 4
E. 4
Edwin 4
Gilbert 4
Jonathan 4
Percy 4
Christian 3
Harold 3
Isaac 3
Luke 3
Marmaduke 3
Nicholas 3
Patrick 3

FAQ

Hay surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hay surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,577 people were recorded with the Hay surname. That placed it at #1,264 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hay surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 12,626 in 2016. That gives Hay a modern rank of #511.

What does the Hay surname mean?

An English topographic surname for someone who lived near an enclosure or hedge, from Middle English hay meaning "fence."

What does the Hay map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Hay 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.