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

Belay, 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 Belay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Belay in America

Belay is the 27144th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Belay surname appeared 892 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 Belay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Belay 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 Belay

The surname "BELAY" is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "bel" meaning "beautiful" or "handsome". The name was likely used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was considered physically attractive.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "BELAY" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In the book, there is a mention of a landowner named Rainald Belay who held lands in Gloucestershire.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various historical records across different regions of France. In 1247, a man named Pierre Belay was recorded as a citizen of Paris. Around the same time, a nobleman named Jacques Belay was mentioned in a charter from the Burgundy region.

In the 14th century, the surname "BELAY" began to spread beyond France. One notable individual was John Belay, an English merchant who was born in 1319 and lived in London. He was involved in the wool trade and became a prominent figure in the city's mercantile community.

In the 16th century, the name "BELAY" gained further recognition with the birth of Jean Belay (1518-1597), a French philosopher and writer. He was known for his philosophical works on ethics and morality, and his ideas influenced many thinkers of the Renaissance period.

Another significant figure with the surname "BELAY" was Claude Belay (1634-1712), a French architect and engineer. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Sulpice and the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall).

During the 18th century, a branch of the Belay family migrated to England, where they established themselves as landowners and influential members of society. One notable figure from this period was Sir William Belay (1732-1810), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament and held various government positions.

While the surname "BELAY" has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and other European countries. Despite its widespread distribution, the name remains relatively uncommon, maintaining its distinct historical and cultural significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Belay

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!