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

Slay, 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 Slay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Slay in America

Slay is the 8135th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Slay surname appeared 4,075 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 Slay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Slay 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 Slay

The surname SLAY is an English surname that originated in the county of Devon in the southwestern part of England. The name is derived from the Old English word "slæge," which means "to strike or kill." It is thought to have been an occupational name for a soldier or warrior who was skilled in combat and known for their ability to slay their enemies.

The earliest known record of the surname SLAY dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Devon, where it was spelled "Slegge." This early spelling suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname for someone with a powerful physique or a strong, striking presence.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Slay," "Slaye," and "Sleye," in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire and the Feet of Fines for Essex.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname SLAY was William Slay, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1236. Another early bearer of the name was John Slay, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

During the medieval period, the surname SLAY was also associated with several notable figures, such as Sir John Slay, a knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century. Another prominent individual was William Slay, a wealthy merchant who lived in Bristol in the late 16th century and was known for his charitable donations to the city.

In the 17th century, the name SLAY appeared in various parish records and court documents, often in connection with landowners and farmers in the counties of Devon and Somerset.

Other notable bearers of the surname SLAY throughout history include:

1. Thomas Slay (1596-1672), an English clergyman and author from Gloucestershire.
2. James Slay (1722-1788), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War.
3. Elizabeth Slay (1779-1856), a British writer and poet from Devon who published several collections of poetry in the early 19th century.
4. Robert Slay (1835-1912), an English businessman and philanthropist who founded a successful shipping company in Liverpool.
5. Sir Arthur Slay (1867-1943), a British politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted for his services to the legal profession.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Slay

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

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

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

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