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

Declay, 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 Declay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Declay in America

Declay is the 72771st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Declay surname appeared 267 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 Declay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Declay 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 Declay

The surname DECLAY is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old French word "declay," which referred to a valley or low-lying area. It was a topographic name given to individuals who lived in or near such a location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DECLAY can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name had already become established in parts of Normandy before the Norman conquest of England.

By the 13th century, variations of the name, such as DeClay and DeClaye, appeared in various medieval records and charters across northern France. These included Jean DeClay, a landowner mentioned in a document from the Duchy of Normandy in 1248.

As the name spread throughout France and beyond, it likely underwent further spelling changes due to regional dialects and scribal errors. For instance, the variant Declais was found in records from the Champagne region in the late 14th century.

One notable bearer of the DECLAY surname was Pierre Declay, a French soldier and explorer born in 1672. He is known for his expeditions to the Caribbean and Central America in the early 18th century, during which he mapped and documented several previously unexplored areas.

Another significant figure was Marie-Anne Declay, a renowned French painter and portraitist who lived from 1743 to 1815. Her works were highly celebrated during her lifetime and can be found in various museums and private collections across Europe.

In the realm of literature, the French novelist and playwright François Declay (1795-1872) made significant contributions to the Romantic movement in France. His plays and novels, often exploring themes of love and societal norms, were widely popular in the 19th century.

Across the English Channel, the DECLAY surname also found its way to Britain, where it was sometimes anglicized to Declaye or Declee. One notable example is Thomas Declaye, a merchant and landowner who lived in London during the late 16th century.

In more recent times, the DECLAY surname has also been associated with notable individuals such as Jacques Declay, a French philosopher and academic who lived from 1898 to 1976, and Marianne Declay, a celebrated French actress and singer active in the mid-20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Declay

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

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

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

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