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

LaMay, 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 LaMay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of LaMay in America

LaMay is the 15857th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The LaMay surname appeared 1,835 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 LaMay.

We can also compare 2010 data for LaMay 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 LaMay

The surname LAMAY originated in France during the medieval period, around the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "la may," which means "the month of May." This name likely referred to someone who was born or had a significant event occur during that month.

The earliest recorded instance of the LAMAY surname can be found in a medieval French document from the late 1200s, where it was spelled "Lamaye." This spelling variation is indicative of the name's French roots and the regional dialects of the time.

In the 14th century, there are records of a nobleman named Jean LAMAY, who served in the court of King Philip IV of France (1268-1314). Jean LAMAY was a respected advisor and diplomat during the king's reign.

Another notable individual with this surname was Étienne LAMAY (1510-1578), a French philosopher and theologian who wrote extensively on religious matters during the Protestant Reformation.

During the 16th century, the LAMAY name appeared in several French town and village records, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. This suggests that the name had spread across different parts of France by that time.

In the 17th century, a French explorer named Pierre LAMAY (1620-1698) was one of the early settlers in the French colony of Acadia, which is now part of Canada. His descendants continued to use the LAMAY surname in North America.

Another prominent figure with this surname was Marie-Anne LAMAY (1768-1842), a French painter and engraver who gained recognition for her intricate artwork during the Napoleonic era.

Over the centuries, the LAMAY surname has also been associated with various places in France, such as the village of Lamaye in the Ardennes region, which likely derived its name from the surname itself.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name LaMay

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

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

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

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