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

Kayes, 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 Kayes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kayes in America

Kayes is the 46138th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kayes surname appeared 462 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 Kayes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kayes 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 Kayes

The surname Kayes has its origins in the British Isles, likely emerging during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a variant of the more common surname "Kay" or "Key," which is derived from the Old English word "caeg," meaning "key."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kayes can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name was already in use by the 11th century, though its spelling may have varied.

During the medieval period, the name Kayes was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire in northern England. It is possible that the name was originally associated with a particular location or landmark that has since been lost to history.

In the 16th century, records show a John Kayes being born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1543. He later became a renowned scholar and theologian, serving as a chaplain to Queen Elizabeth I.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Kayes was Sir John Kayes, a prominent English politician who lived in the 17th century. He served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Southwark from 1628 to 1629.

Moving into the 18th century, we find Thomas Kayes, a British explorer and cartographer born in 1721. He is best known for his detailed maps of the Caribbean islands, which were widely used by sailors and navigators of the time.

In the 19th century, William Kayes, born in 1832 in Manchester, rose to prominence as a successful industrialist and philanthropist. He was a key figure in the development of the textile industry in northern England.

As the centuries progressed, the Kayes surname spread across the British Isles and beyond, with some variations in spelling emerging, such as "Kays" or "Keys." Nonetheless, the name has maintained a strong connection to its British roots and medieval origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kayes

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

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

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

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