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

Ceesay, 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 Ceesay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ceesay in America

Ceesay is the 23019th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ceesay surname appeared 1,110 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 Ceesay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ceesay 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 Ceesay

The surname Ceesay is of Gambian origin, and is believed to have originated in the West African country during the 17th century. The name is derived from the Mandinka language, and is thought to be a patronymic, meaning "son of Ceesay". The Mandinka people are an ethnic group found predominantly in Gambia, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Ceesay can be found in the colonial records of the British Empire, as the region was under British rule during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The name appears in various spellings, including Ceeesay, Ceasay, and Ceesai, reflecting the phonetic nature of the name's transcription from the Mandinka language to English.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Ceesay was Alieu Ceesay, a Gambian soldier and politician who lived in the late 19th century. He served as a soldier in the British colonial army and later became a prominent figure in the local political landscape.

Another notable bearer of the name was Alhaji Alieu Ceesay, a Gambian businessman and philanthropist who lived in the early 20th century. He established several successful businesses and was known for his charitable contributions to the local community.

In the mid-20th century, Lamin Ceesay was a renowned Gambian scholar and educator. He made significant contributions to the study of Mandinka language and culture, and his works are still widely referenced today.

More recently, Isatou Ceesay, a Gambian activist and environmentalist, gained international recognition for her work in promoting sustainable living and environmental conservation. She founded the Gambian nonprofit organization Njau Recycling and Traditional Handicraft Society in the late 1990s.

Yusupha Ceesay, a Gambian professional footballer, has also brought attention to the surname through his successful career in European football leagues, including stints with various clubs in England and Spain.

While the surname Ceesay is most prevalent in Gambia, it can also be found in neighboring West African countries where the Mandinka people have settled, such as Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. The name is a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Mandinka people and their contributions to the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ceesay

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

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

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

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