UK surname
A surname possibly derived from the old French word "thé" meaning tea leaf or tea merchant.
In the 1881 census there were 55 people recorded with the Thay surname, ranking it #25,862 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 89, ranked #32,297, down from #25,862 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Pelham, Brent, Hampton-in-Arden and Bedworth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thay is 116 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.8%.
1881 census count
55
Ranked #25,862
Modern count
89
2016, ranked #32,297
Peak year
1861
116 bearers
Map years
2
1861 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Thay surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Thay surname density by area, 1891 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 48 | #24,615 |
| 1861 | historical | 116 | #18,751 |
| 1881 | historical | 55 | #25,862 |
| 1891 | historical | 102 | #23,719 |
| 1901 | historical | 57 | #27,846 |
| 1911 | historical | 52 | #27,620 |
| 1997 | modern | 82 | #29,325 |
| 1998 | modern | 80 | #29,966 |
| 1999 | modern | 84 | #29,700 |
| 2000 | modern | 83 | #29,809 |
| 2001 | modern | 78 | #30,168 |
| 2002 | modern | 78 | #30,601 |
| 2003 | modern | 76 | #30,883 |
| 2004 | modern | 73 | #31,403 |
| 2005 | modern | 70 | #31,912 |
| 2006 | modern | 68 | #32,441 |
| 2007 | modern | 70 | #32,580 |
| 2008 | modern | 71 | #32,753 |
| 2009 | modern | 74 | #32,835 |
| 2010 | modern | 77 | #32,927 |
| 2011 | modern | 81 | #32,558 |
| 2012 | modern | 81 | #32,796 |
| 2013 | modern | 83 | #32,813 |
| 2014 | modern | 91 | #32,219 |
| 2015 | modern | 90 | #32,245 |
| 2016 | modern | 89 | #32,297 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Pelham, Brent, Hampton-in-Arden, Bedworth, Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pelham, Brent | Hertfordshire |
| 2 | Hampton-in-Arden | Warwickshire |
| 3 | Bedworth | Warwickshire |
| 4 | Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton | Nottinghamshire |
| 5 | Birmingham Town: Aston | Warwickshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Thay surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Thay, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Thay surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Thay household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Thay is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Thay is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Thay, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname "THAY" is believed to have originated in Germany during the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "thau," which means "dew." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a dewy area or had some association with dew.
The earliest recorded mention of the surname "THAY" can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to 1287. In this record, a person named "Henricus Thay" is mentioned as a landowner in the town of Meissen.
During the 14th century, the name "THAY" appeared in several other German records, including the Stadtbuch von Goslar, a document from the city of Goslar, which mentions a "Johannes Thay" in 1375.
In the 15th century, the name "THAY" began to spread beyond Germany to other parts of Europe. One notable individual from this time period was Hans Thay, a German painter and woodcarver who lived from around 1440 to 1502.
As the centuries passed, the surname "THAY" continued to be found in various records and documents across Europe. In the 16th century, a man named Mattheus Thay, born around 1530 in the town of Koblenz, Germany, became a renowned scholar and theologian.
In the 17th century, the name "THAY" appeared in the town records of Speyer, Germany, where a family of merchants and traders bearing the surname lived and worked.
During the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname "THAY" was Johann Gottfried Thay, a German composer and organist who lived from 1722 to 1797. He is remembered for his contributions to the development of church music in Germany.
In the 19th century, the name "THAY" gained prominence in France, where a family of artists and sculptors bearing the surname resided in Paris. One of the most famous members of this family was Auguste Thay, born in 1832, who became a renowned sculptor and created several notable works for public spaces in Paris.
While the surname "THAY" has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, as people with this name immigrated and settled in these countries over the centuries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thay surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Warwickshire leads with 40 Thays recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.57x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Warwickshire | 40 | 29.57x |
| Lancashire | 8 | 1.26x |
| Worcestershire | 5 | 7.14x |
| Essex | 1 | 0.94x |
| Middlesex | 1 | 0.19x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 19 Thays recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.15x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 19 | 42.15x |
| Aston | 9 | 24.16x |
| Hampton In Arden | 5 | 4166.67x |
| Over Whitacre | 5 | 10000.00x |
| Wardleworth | 5 | 137.36x |
| Redditch | 4 | 281.69x |
| Edgbaston | 1 | 23.87x |
| Great Packington | 1 | 2500.00x |
| Heap | 1 | 29.59x |
| Manchester | 1 | 3.49x |
| Mile End Old Town | 1 | 11.81x |
| Pendleton In Salford | 1 | 13.19x |
| The Hill | 1 | 222.22x |
| Walthamstow | 1 | 26.25x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Thay surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Thay surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Thay households.
FAQ
In 1881, 55 people were recorded with the Thay surname. That placed it at #25,862 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 89 in 2016. That gives Thay a modern rank of #32,297.
A surname possibly derived from the old French word "thé" meaning tea leaf or tea merchant.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Thay bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.