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

Day, 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 Day surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Day in America

Day is the 294th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Day surname appeared 105,091 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 36 people would have the surname Day.

We can also compare 2010 data for Day 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 Day

The surname Day originated in England and has its roots in the Old English word 'dæg', meaning day or daylight. It was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who worked during the day or preferred to be active during daylight hours.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Day can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as 'Dae' and 'Dai'. This suggests that the name was already in use during the 11th century in various parts of England.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Day was particularly prevalent in the counties of Essex, Kent, and Suffolk. It is believed that some of the earliest bearers of the name may have been employed in occupations that required working during the day, such as farmers, tradesmen, or laborers.

As the name spread across England, it took on various spellings, including Daye, Dey, and Deye. These variations are found in historical records from the 13th to the 16th centuries, reflecting the fluid nature of spelling conventions during that time period.

One notable historical figure with the surname Day was John Day, a renowned English Protestant printer who lived from around 1522 to 1584. He played a significant role in the printing and distribution of religious works during the Reformation period.

Another individual of note was Thomas Day, an English author and abolitionist born in 1748. He is best known for his novel "Sandford and Merton," which aimed to educate children on moral principles.

Richard Day, born in 1552, was an English clergyman and an eminent translator of the Geneva Bible. His contributions to the translation and dissemination of the Bible were significant during the Protestant Reformation.

In the realm of literature, John Day, born in 1574, was an English playwright and author who contributed to the development of English drama during the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras.

Finally, Henry George Day, born in 1837, was a renowned English architect known for his work on various ecclesiastical buildings, including churches and cathedrals, throughout England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Day

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

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

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

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