NameCensus.

UK surname

Shay

An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Séaghdha, meaning "descendant of Séaghdha" (a personal name meaning "hawk-like").

In the 1881 census there were 306 people recorded with the Shay surname, ranking it #9,586 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 256, ranked #16,534, down from #9,586 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Pontefract. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Kingston upon Hull and East Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shay is 306 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 16.3%.

1881 census count

306

Ranked #9,586

Modern count

256

2016, ranked #16,534

Peak year

1881

306 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shay had 306 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,586 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 256 in 2016, ranked #16,534.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 306 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Mature Families.

Shay surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shay surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shay 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 216 #9,818
1861 historical 299 #8,460
1881 historical 306 #9,586
1891 historical 296 #11,215
1901 historical 256 #12,934
1911 historical 228 #13,759
1997 modern 219 #16,666
1998 modern 230 #16,607
1999 modern 230 #16,685
2000 modern 235 #16,423
2001 modern 229 #16,467
2002 modern 221 #17,206
2003 modern 221 #16,987
2004 modern 229 #16,684
2005 modern 227 #16,730
2006 modern 218 #17,297
2007 modern 221 #17,343
2008 modern 225 #17,282
2009 modern 224 #17,685
2010 modern 238 #17,323
2011 modern 249 #16,684
2012 modern 247 #16,661
2013 modern 257 #16,466
2014 modern 261 #16,421
2015 modern 254 #16,608
2016 modern 256 #16,534

Geography

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Where Shays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Pontefract, All Saints Poplar and St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Kingston upon Hull, East Cambridgeshire and Leeds. 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 London parishes London 3
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Pontefract Yorkshire, West Riding
4 All Saints Poplar London (East Districts)
5 St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 010 Wakefield
2 Kingston upon Hull 008 Kingston upon Hull, City of
3 East Cambridgeshire 001 East Cambridgeshire
4 Kingston upon Hull 003 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 Leeds 007 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shay

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shay

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Established Mature Families

Nationally, the Shay surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Mature Families, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Shay household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples predominate, many with older dependent children. Detached housing is common. Homeownership rates are the highest within this Supergroup. The presence of some students suggests that households are towards the end of a child rearing phase. Many residents have degree level qualifications, and the occupational profile is heavily skewed towards managerial and professional occupations. Residential developments commonly occur on the periphery of major urban cities or conurbations.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Shay 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

Shay 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

Shay 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 Shay is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Shay

The surname Shay is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "O'Seaghdha" or "O'Seagha," which means "hawk" or "descendant of the hawk." This name can be traced back to the early medieval period in Ireland, around the 10th or 11th century.

The name was most prevalent in the counties of Westmeath, Longford, and Cavan, where the O'Seaghdha sept (clan) held significant influence and power. Over time, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations such as Shea, Shee, and Shay emerging.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shay appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it mentions an individual named "O'Seaghdha" in the year 1195. Additionally, the name is found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official records from the 16th century.

In the 17th century, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, many Irish families, including those bearing the surname Shay, were dispossessed of their lands and forced to relocate. This led to the further spread of the name across Ireland and beyond.

Notable individuals with the surname Shay throughout history include:

1. John Shay (1786-1845), an Irish-American military officer who served in the War of 1812 and later became a prominent landowner in Ohio.

2. Sir Michael Joseph Shay (1843-1924), a prominent Irish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1914 to 1924.

3. Denis Shay (1853-1924), an Irish politician and Member of Parliament for the Irish Parliamentary Party, representing West Galway from 1900 to 1918.

4. Brendan Shay (1923-2010), an Irish actor and playwright, best known for his roles in films such as "The Quiet Man" and "Darby O'Gill and the Little People."

5. Pam Shay (born 1957), an American actress and TV personality, known for her roles in the soap opera "Days of Our Lives" and the reality show "The Real Housewives of Vancouver."

The surname Shay continues to be prevalent in Ireland, as well as among the Irish diaspora in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, reflecting the rich history and resilience of this ancient Irish name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shay families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shay 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. Yorkshire leads with 81 Shays recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.69x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 81 2.69x
Middlesex 67 2.21x
Lancashire 43 1.19x
Surrey 39 2.64x
Kent 19 1.84x
Nottinghamshire 17 4.16x
Warwickshire 11 1.44x
Berkshire 5 2.20x
Channel Islands 5 5.56x
Devon 4 0.63x
Gloucestershire 3 0.50x
Pembrokeshire 3 3.11x
Durham 2 0.22x
Essex 2 0.33x
Lincolnshire 2 0.41x
Worcestershire 2 0.50x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.36x
Hertfordshire 1 0.48x
Monmouthshire 1 0.46x
Perthshire 1 0.73x
Royal Navy 1 2.77x
Staffordshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Pontefract in Yorkshire leads with 26 Shays recorded in 1881 and an index of 401.23x.

Place Total Index
Pontefract 26 401.23x
Newington 11 9.82x
Camberwell 10 5.16x
Leeds 9 5.30x
Poplar London 9 15.72x
St Giles In Fields 9 86.04x
Birmingham 8 3.14x
Ferry Fryston 8 683.76x
Goole 8 158.73x
Wortley In Bramley 8 33.60x
Newark Upon Trent 7 47.62x
Parr 7 54.35x
St Pancras London 7 2.87x
Bradford 6 35.61x
Doncaster 6 27.32x
Greenwich 6 12.42x
Liverpool 6 2.74x
Manchester 6 3.71x
Fulham London 5 11.37x
Holy Trinity 5 6.92x
Shoreditch London 5 3.80x
Southwark St Olave 5 215.52x
Wargrave 5 255.10x
Warrington 5 11.72x
Westminster St John 5 13.54x
Battersea 4 3.58x
Bermondsey 4 4.43x
Blyth 4 625.00x
Deptford St Nicholas 4 48.72x
Deptford St Paul 4 5.01x
South Elmshall 4 727.27x
Sutton 4 1025.64x
Bootle Cum Linacre 3 10.49x
Horfield 3 50.08x
Islington London 3 1.02x
Spitalfields London 3 13.15x
St Peter Port 3 18.04x
Whitechapel London 3 10.03x
Barton Upon Irwell 2 7.38x
Broughton In Salford 2 6.08x
Crayford 2 44.25x
Kensington London 2 1.19x
Knottingley 2 37.88x
Limehouse London 2 6.01x
Manningham 2 5.40x
Pembroke St Michael 2 142.86x
St Andrew Holborn 2 19.46x
St Helier 2 6.84x
West Ham 2 1.51x
Westminster St 2 17.89x
Worksop 2 16.49x
Acton 1 5.62x
Aston 1 0.47x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.76x
Carshalton 1 17.67x
Clapham 1 2.64x
Droylsden 1 8.52x
East Stonehouse 1 8.04x
Escomb 1 24.10x
Great Grimsby 1 3.25x
Hessle In Sculcoates 1 37.74x
Holdfast Queenshill 1 526.32x
Lambeth 1 0.38x
Leamington Priors 1 5.31x
Perth East Church 1 7.79x
Plumstead 1 2.90x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 2.06x
Southwark Christchurch 1 7.04x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.64x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 1 23.31x
St Clement Danes 1 20.37x
St Paul Covent Garden 1 32.89x
St Petrox 1 769.23x
Sutton At Hone 1 46.51x
West Derby 1 0.95x
West Teignmouth 1 20.70x
Westminster St James 1 3.21x
Wolverhampton 1 1.27x
York St Mary 1 8.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 39
Elizabeth 8
Ellen 8
Margaret 8
Jane 7
Sarah 7
Ann 6
Kate 5
Bridget 4
Caroline 4
Eliza 4
Emily 4
Julia 4
Annie 3
Catherine 3
Martha 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Amy 2
Anne 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Clara 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Emilia 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Harrett 1
Healy 1
Helen 1
Hessit 1
Isabella 1
Jemima 1
Lavinia 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Margt. 1
Maude 1
May 1
Millicent 1
Minnie 1
Mrs 1
Nellie 1
Nelly 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 24
William 13
Patrick 12
Edward 10
George 7
James 7
Thomas 7
Joseph 6
Charles 4
Daniel 4
Michael 4
Robert 4
Henry 3
Benjamin 2
Francis 2
Frederic 2
Jeremiah 2
Peter 2
Richard 2
Adolphous 1
Alfred 1
Allan 1
Arthur 1
Austin 1
Bramley 1
Dennis 1
Denny 1
E. 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Infant 1
Jeramus 1
Jerimiah 1
Jonathan 1
Lawrence 1
Maurice 1
Michl. 1
Timothy 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wictor 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Shay surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shay surname in 1881?

In 1881, 306 people were recorded with the Shay surname. That placed it at #9,586 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shay surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 256 in 2016. That gives Shay a modern rank of #16,534.

What does the Shay surname mean?

An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Séaghdha, meaning "descendant of Séaghdha" (a personal name meaning "hawk-like").

What does the Shay map show?

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