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

Samay, 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 Samay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Samay in America

Samay is the 98099th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Samay surname appeared 185 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 Samay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Samay 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 Samay

The surname "SAMAY" is believed to have originated in India, specifically in the region of Bengal, during the 16th century. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "samaya," which means "time" or "period." The name may have been given to individuals who were born at a significant or auspicious time, or it could have been used as a descriptive name for someone known for their punctuality or sense of timing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "SAMAY" can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The document mentions a certain Ramchandra Samay, who served as a high-ranking official in the Mughal court.

In the 17th century, a scholar named Govind Samay gained recognition for his contributions to the field of astronomy and astrology. He authored several treatises on celestial movements and the calculation of auspicious times, which were widely studied in the region.

During the 18th century, the "SAMAY" surname became more prevalent in the eastern part of Bengal, which is now a part of present-day Bangladesh. One notable figure from this period was Rajkumar Samay, a renowned poet and writer who composed works in both Bengali and Sanskrit.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure bearing the surname "SAMAY" was Bipin Chandra Samay, a social reformer and educator who played a significant role in the Bengal Renaissance movement. He established several schools and advocated for the advancement of education, particularly for women.

Another noteworthy individual with the "SAMAY" surname was Amrita Samay, a celebrated Bengali author and playwright who lived in the early 20th century. Her works often explored themes of social injustice and women's empowerment, and she is regarded as one of the pioneers of modern Bengali literature.

While the surname "SAMAY" has its roots in India, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins and historical significance can be traced back to the rich cultural heritage of Bengal and the Sanskrit language.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Samay

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!