2000
#9,416
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,168
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Guay
A French toponymic surname indicating someone from a place called Guay, derived from the Old French "gué" meaning "ford."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,218 Americans carry the last name Guay. That puts it at #10,842 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,512 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Guay surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 106,512
Census rank
#10,842
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,806 bearers of the surname Guay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10842nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Guay, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Guay
The surname Guay originated in France, specifically in the region of Normandy, during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "guai," which means "watchman" or "guard." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a guard or watchman, likely in a castle or other important location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Guay can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This indicates that individuals with the surname Guay likely accompanied William during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Jean Guay was mentioned in the records of the city of Rouen, France. He was a merchant and landowner who held significant influence in the region. Another notable individual was Guillaume Guay, a French soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) and was knighted for his bravery on the battlefield.
During the 16th century, the Guay family established themselves in the province of Quebec, Canada, after migrating from France. One of the earliest settlers with this surname was Pierre Guay, who arrived in Quebec in 1636 and became a successful farmer and landowner.
In the 18th century, a French nobleman named Louis-François Guay was known for his contributions to literature and philosophy. He was born in 1717 and published several influential works during the Enlightenment period.
Another notable figure was Jacques Guay, a French explorer and cartographer who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was responsible for mapping and charting many unexplored regions of North America, particularly in Canada and the Arctic.
The surname Guay can also be found in various place names throughout France and Canada, such as Guay-sur-Loiret in the Loiret department of France, and Guay, a municipality in the province of Quebec, Canada.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Guay
Among Census respondents with the surname Guay, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Guay bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Guay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 2,601
- Two or more races3.0% · 85
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 79
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 31
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Guay
Guay appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,923
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,255
+87 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 507 places
2020
#10,842
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,806
-449 bearers (-13.8%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 919 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,416 | 3,168 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,923 | 3,255 | 1.10 | +87 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 507 places |
| 2020 | #10,842 | 2,806 | 0.94 | -449 bearers (-13.8%) | Down 919 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Guay surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,923 | #10,842 | -9.3% |
| Count | 3,255 | 2,806 | -13.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.10 | 0.94 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Guay bearers went from 3,255 to 2,806 (-13.8% change). The surname moved down 919 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,923 to #10,842.
FAQ
Guay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Guay?
Name Census estimates that about 3,218 living Americans carry the surname Guay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,512 residents.
How common is Guay?
Guay ranks #10,842 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,806 people with the surname Guay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,218), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Guay.
Has Guay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Guay went from 3,255 recorded bearers to 2,806. That is a decrease of 449 (-13.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,923 to #10,842.
What does the Census say about the background of Guay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Guay, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Guay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (2,601 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Guay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Guay (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Guay mean?
A French toponymic surname indicating someone from a place called Guay, derived from the Old French "gué" meaning "ford." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Guay (0.94 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Guay?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.