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

Delay, 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 Delay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Delay in America

Delay is the 9037th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Delay surname appeared 3,616 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Delay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Delay 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 Delay

The surname DELAY has its origins in France, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "delai," which means "to delay" or "to put off." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who was prone to procrastination or someone who habitually delayed tasks or responsibilities.

In the historical records, the name appears in various spellings, including "Delaie," "Delaye," and "Delayes." These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling conventions during that time period. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Jean Delaie, who was mentioned in a document from the city of Rouen in Normandy, France, dated around 1180.

The name DELAY is also linked to several place names in France, such as Delaye, a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department, and Delaie, a hamlet in the Eure department. These place names may have contributed to the surname's origins, as it was common for people to adopt surnames based on their place of residence or origin.

Several notable individuals have borne the DELAY surname throughout history. One such individual was Pierre Delay (1633-1707), a French Jesuit missionary who traveled to New France (present-day Canada) in the 17th century. Another was Louis Delay (1879-1958), a French physician and neurologist who made significant contributions to the study of neurological disorders.

Other historical figures with the DELAY surname include:

1. Jacques Delay (1893-1964), a French psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who co-authored the influential book "The Non-Psychotic Mental Disorders" with Pierre Deniker.
2. Joseph Delay (1717-1796), a French architect and engineer known for his work on the Château de Condé in Chantilly, France.
3. Pierre-Jean Delay (1761-1824), a French lawyer and politician who served as a deputy in the Corps législatif during the First French Empire.
4. Jérôme Delay (1734-1805), a French theologian and Catholic priest who wrote extensively on religious philosophy and theology.
5. Étienne Delay (1570-1636), a French engraver and printmaker active during the Baroque period, known for his portraits and allegorical works.

While the DELAY surname has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including other European countries, North America, and beyond, reflecting the migration patterns and histories of different families and communities over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Delay

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

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

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

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