2000
#9,006
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,337
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Nay
A surname of Scottish origin derived from a place name meaning "at the island" in Gaelic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,195 Americans carry the last name Nay. That puts it at #8,616 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 81,705 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nay 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 Nay with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.2K
1 in 81,705
Census rank
#8,616
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,658 bearers of the surname Nay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8616th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nay, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.1%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nay
The surname Nay has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "nae" or "na," which means "no" or "nay." This word was often used as an affirmative response in the early English language, and it is possible that the surname was initially given as a nickname to someone known for their blunt or direct manner of speaking.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Nay can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I. These records mention individuals with the name Nay residing in various counties across England, suggesting that the surname was already well-established by that time.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing the surname Nay was John Nay, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301. Another notable figure was William Nay, a prominent landowner in Northamptonshire during the 14th century.
In the 15th century, the surname Nay appears in several historical documents, including the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence between members of the influential Paston family. One of the letters, written in 1472, mentions a certain John Nay, who was involved in a legal dispute over land ownership.
The surname Nay has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Nayfield in Wiltshire and Naylands in Suffolk. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname Nay who resided in or owned land in those areas.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Nay. One such person was Thomas Nay (1615-1676), an English Puritan minister who served as the chaplain to Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate. Another prominent figure was Sir Nathaniel Nay (1653-1725), a British naval officer who served during the reign of King William III and Queen Anne.
In the literary world, one cannot overlook the contributions of Robert Nay (1753-1829), an English poet and playwright who wrote several works, including the tragedy "The Woodman's Hut" and the comedic play "The Kentish Barons."
Additionally, the surname Nay has been carried by individuals in the field of science and exploration. One such person was John Nay (1788-1859), a British botanist and explorer known for his expeditions to the Cape of Good Hope and his contributions to the study of South African flora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nay
Among Census respondents with the surname Nay, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.1%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Nay 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 Nay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.6% · 2,657
- Asian and Pacific Islander17.1% · 626
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 151
- Two or more races4.0% · 148
- Black or African American1.3% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nay
Nay 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
#6,949
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,826
+1,489 bearers (+44.6%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Up 2,057 places
2020
#8,616
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,658
-1,168 bearers (-24.2%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Down 1,667 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,006 | 3,337 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,949 | 4,826 | 1.64 | +1,489 bearers (+44.6%) | Up 2,057 places |
| 2020 | #8,616 | 3,658 | 1.22 | -1,168 bearers (-24.2%) | Down 1,667 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 Nay 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 | #6,949 | #8,616 | -24.0% |
| Count | 4,826 | 3,658 | -24.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.64 | 1.22 | -25.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nay bearers went from 4,826 to 3,658 (-24.2% change). The surname moved down 1,667 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,949 to #8,616.
FAQ
Nay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nay?
Name Census estimates that about 4,195 living Americans carry the surname Nay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 81,705 residents.
How common is Nay?
Nay ranks #8,616 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.22 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 3,658 people with the surname Nay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,195), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.22 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 Nay.
Has Nay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nay went from 4,826 recorded bearers to 3,658. That is a decrease of 1,168 (-24.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,949 to #8,616.
What does the Census say about the background of Nay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nay, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.1%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Nay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.6% (2,657 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (17.1%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Nay (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 Nay mean?
A surname of Scottish origin derived from a place name meaning "at the island" in Gaelic. 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 Nay (1.22 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 share the surname Nay?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.