Find out how popular the last name Arcay is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Arcay.

Arcay, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Arcay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Arcay in America

Arcay is the 145220th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Arcay surname appeared 114 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Arcay.

The history of the last name Arcay

The surname Arcay has its origins in the French Basque Country, a region situated along the western Pyrenees that straddles the modern-day border between France and Spain. The name is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, sometime around the 13th or 14th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Arcay can be found in the Livre d'Or de la Noblesse de la Navarre, a 16th-century genealogical record of noble families from the former Kingdom of Navarre. The name is thought to be derived from the Basque word "arkatza," meaning "oak tree," which suggests that the ancestors of the Arcay family may have lived near or had some connection to oak forests or groves.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Pierre d'Arcay served as a military captain and adviser to Charles VII, the King of France during the latter stages of the Hundred Years' War. He played a key role in the successful siege of Rouen in 1449, which helped secure the eventual French victory over the English.

Another historically significant individual bearing the Arcay name was Jean-Baptiste Arcay, a French priest and theologian who lived in the 17th century. He authored several influential works on Catholic doctrine and was known for his contributions to the ongoing debates surrounding Jansenism, a theological movement within the Catholic Church.

Moving forward to the 18th century, Marie-Anne Arcay, born in 1723, was a renowned French actress and theater manager. She performed at the Comédie-Française, one of the most prestigious theaters in Paris, and is credited with helping to popularize several plays by prominent playwrights of the era.

In the 19th century, a notable figure with the Arcay surname was Léon Arcay, a French painter and lithographer. Born in 1828, he was known for his landscapes and genre scenes depicting rural life in France. Some of his works are housed in various art museums and galleries across Europe.

Over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the surname have emerged, including Arcaye, Arcaix, and Arcaitz, among others. These variations often reflect regional linguistic differences or personal preferences, but they all share a common origin in the Basque region of southwestern Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Arcay

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Arcay.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Arcay was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Arcay was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Arcay, please contact us.

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