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

Arey, 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 Arey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Arey in America

Arey is the 19379th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Arey surname appeared 1,395 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 Arey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Arey to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Arey

The surname AREY is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "aera," which meant "messenger" or "herald." Some historians also suggest that the name may have been a variation of the Old French name "Aré," which means "consecrated."

The earliest recorded instance of the surname AREY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Arai." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest. It is also possible that the name was brought to England by Norman settlers during this period.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records with spellings such as "Arey," "Areye," and "Aray." These variations likely reflect the different dialects and accents of the regions where the name was found.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname AREY was Sir John Arey, a knight who lived in the late 13th century. He is mentioned in several historical documents from the reign of King Edward I.

Another notable figure with the surname AREY was Richard Arey, a merchant and landowner who lived in the 15th century. He is recorded as owning several properties in the county of Hertfordshire.

During the Renaissance period, the name AREY was associated with the arts and literature. William Arey, born in 1550, was a prominent playwright and poet who was part of the literary circle that included William Shakespeare.

In the 17th century, the name AREY gained prominence in the field of science. Thomas Arey, born in 1620, was a renowned mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.

The 18th century saw the rise of a notable military figure with the surname AREY. General James Arey, born in 1725, was a highly decorated officer who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War.

Throughout its history, the surname AREY has been associated with various place names and locations in England, such as Arey Green in Hertfordshire and Arey Manor in Oxfordshire. These place names likely derived from the presence of families bearing the AREY surname in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Arey

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

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 Arey 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Arey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Arey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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