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

Shay, 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 Shay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shay in America

Shay is the 3843rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shay surname appeared 9,212 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Shay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shay 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 Shay

The surname Shay is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "O'Seaghdha" or "O'Seagha," which means "hawk" or "descendant of the hawk." This name can be traced back to the early medieval period in Ireland, around the 10th or 11th century.

The name was most prevalent in the counties of Westmeath, Longford, and Cavan, where the O'Seaghdha sept (clan) held significant influence and power. Over time, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations such as Shea, Shee, and Shay emerging.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shay appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it mentions an individual named "O'Seaghdha" in the year 1195. Additionally, the name is found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official records from the 16th century.

In the 17th century, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, many Irish families, including those bearing the surname Shay, were dispossessed of their lands and forced to relocate. This led to the further spread of the name across Ireland and beyond.

Notable individuals with the surname Shay throughout history include:

1. John Shay (1786-1845), an Irish-American military officer who served in the War of 1812 and later became a prominent landowner in Ohio.

2. Sir Michael Joseph Shay (1843-1924), a prominent Irish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1914 to 1924.

3. Denis Shay (1853-1924), an Irish politician and Member of Parliament for the Irish Parliamentary Party, representing West Galway from 1900 to 1918.

4. Brendan Shay (1923-2010), an Irish actor and playwright, best known for his roles in films such as "The Quiet Man" and "Darby O'Gill and the Little People."

5. Pam Shay (born 1957), an American actress and TV personality, known for her roles in the soap opera "Days of Our Lives" and the reality show "The Real Housewives of Vancouver."

The surname Shay continues to be prevalent in Ireland, as well as among the Irish diaspora in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, reflecting the rich history and resilience of this ancient Irish name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shay

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

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

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

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