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

Imlay, 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 Imlay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Imlay in America

Imlay is the 29019th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Imlay surname appeared 818 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 Imlay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Imlay 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 Imlay

The surname Imlay is believed to have originated in the 12th century in the northern English county of Northumberland. It is derived from the Old English words 'im' meaning 'flat' and 'ley' meaning 'meadow' or 'clearing'. This suggests that the name was initially used to identify someone who lived near or owned a flat meadow or clearing.

Some of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Imlay can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland from the late 12th century, where it appears in various spellings such as 'Imeley' and 'Imley'. The Imlay family is also referenced in the Ragman Rolls of 1291-1296, which recorded the names of landowners and nobility who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Imlay was Robert de Imeley, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1256. Another early bearer of the name was John Imley, who was documented in the Subsidy Rolls of Northumberland in 1336.

The surname Imlay has been associated with various place names throughout its history, such as Imley in Northumberland and Imley Town in Oxfordshire. The spelling 'Imlay' became more common in the 16th and 17th centuries, and several notable individuals with this spelling emerged during this period.

One such individual was Robert Imlay (c. 1540-1615), a landowner and member of the gentry from Northumberland. Another was William Imlay (1633-1701), a merchant and shipowner from Newcastle upon Tyne, who was involved in the coal trade and served as a Member of Parliament.

In the 18th century, the Imlay surname gained prominence with the life of Gilbert Imlay (1754-1828), an American merchant, writer, and explorer. He was involved in land speculation in the Ohio Valley and authored a book titled "A Topographical Description of the Western Territory of North America" in 1792.

Another notable figure was John Imlay (1767-1825), a British naval officer and cartographer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was responsible for creating several important nautical charts and maps.

Throughout its history, the surname Imlay has been recorded in various forms, including Imeley, Imely, Imly, and Imbley, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. However, the name has consistently retained its connection to its Old English origins, reflecting the flat meadows or clearings that were once associated with its earliest bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Imlay

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

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

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

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