2000
#1,402
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,189
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.60
Uncommon Last name
Kay
An English surname derived from the Old Norse word "ká," meaning jackdaw, a type of bird.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,065 Americans carry the last name Kay. That puts it at #1,538 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,150 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kay 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kay with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
26K
1 in 13,150
Census rank
#1,538
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,730 bearers of the surname Kay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1538th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kay, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kay
The surname Kay originated in England and Scotland, derived from the Norman French word 'caye' meaning a causeway or wharf. It emerged as an occupational surname for someone who lived or worked near a quay or dock area.
The name can be traced back to the 12th century, with early records showing variations like Key, Kaye, and Keye. One of the earliest known references is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mentions a Ralph de Kaye.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, the name is absent, suggesting it emerged later as a surname during the Norman period. However, there are mentions of places like Kaye in Yorkshire, which may have influenced the name's development.
The Kay surname has strong ties to Lancashire and Yorkshire, particularly in areas like Rochdale, Oldham, and Halifax. Place names like Kayingham and Kayeworth were likely associated with the surname's origins.
Notable historical figures with the surname include Sir John Kay (1616-1676), a British merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London. Another prominent figure was Joseph Kay (1775-1847), a noted inventor who revolutionized the textile industry with his flying shuttle.
Robert Kay (1638-1716) was a renowned English botanist and naturalist, while John Kay (1742-1826) was a celebrated English caricaturist and engraver known for his satirical prints.
John Phillips Kay (1827-1886) was a British surgeon and medical writer who made significant contributions to the field of obstetrics and gynecology.
The Kay surname has a rich history rooted in England's medieval past, with connections to occupations, places, and notable individuals who have left their mark across various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kay
Among Census respondents with the surname Kay, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kay 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 Kay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.6% · 18,767
- Black or African American4.9% · 1,107
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.7% · 1,072
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 891
- Two or more races3.3% · 751
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 142
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kay
Kay 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
#1,467
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,337
+1,148 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 8.25
Rank movement Down 65 places
2020
#1,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,730
-1,607 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 7.60
Rank movement Down 71 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,402 | 23,189 | 8.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,467 | 24,337 | 8.25 | +1,148 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 65 places |
| 2020 | #1,538 | 22,730 | 7.60 | -1,607 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 71 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 Kay 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 | #1,467 | #1,538 | -4.8% |
| Count | 24,337 | 22,730 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 8.25 | 7.60 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kay bearers went from 24,337 to 22,730 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 71 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,467 to #1,538.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kay
FAQ
Kay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kay?
Name Census estimates that about 26,065 living Americans carry the surname Kay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,150 residents.
How common is Kay?
Kay ranks #1,538 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,730 people with the surname Kay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,065), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Kay.
Has Kay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kay went from 24,337 recorded bearers to 22,730. That is a decrease of 1,607 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,467 to #1,538.
What does the Census say about the background of Kay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kay, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%). 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 Kay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (18,767 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.6%), Black (4.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%). 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 Kay (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 Kay mean?
An English surname derived from the Old Norse word "ká," meaning jackdaw, a type of bird. 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 Kay (7.60 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 are called Kay?
See how common the surname Kay is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.