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

Bays, 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 Bays surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bays in America

Bays is the 5287th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bays surname appeared 6,588 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Bays.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bays 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 Bays

The surname "Bays" originated from the Old French word "baye," which means "bay" or a small inlet of the sea. This name is believed to have first emerged in England during the 12th century, referring to individuals who lived near a bay or coastal inlet.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname "Bays" dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de la Baye," indicating that the name was initially a locative surname derived from a place name associated with a bay or inlet.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as "Baye," "Bays," and "Bayse," reflecting the phonetic variations common in that era. One notable early bearer of the name was Sir Robert de la Baye, a knight who fought in the Battle of Falkirk in 1298.

During the 14th century, the surname "Bays" became more widespread across England, particularly in coastal regions like Devon, Cornwall, and Dorset. One prominent figure from this time was John Bays (c. 1330-1395), a merchant and landowner from Bristol.

In the 16th century, the name underwent further variations, with spellings like "Bayes" and "Baies" appearing in historical records. One notable individual from this period was William Bayes (1518-1572), a clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Nottingham.

The 17th century saw the emergence of renowned individuals bearing the "Bays" surname, such as Thomas Bays (1625-1699), an English philosopher and theologian who wrote extensively on probability theory and is considered a pioneer in the field of statistics.

Another notable figure from this era was Sir Ralph Bays (1658-1723), a prominent English politician and Member of Parliament who played a significant role in the political struggles of the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

In the 18th century, the surname "Bays" continued to be prevalent, with individuals like John Bays (1720-1795), a renowned architect and surveyor responsible for designing several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Throughout its history, the surname "Bays" has been associated with various occupations, including merchants, landowners, clergymen, scholars, politicians, and architects, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bays

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

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

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

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