2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Storay
A surname derived from the Old French word "estorey" meaning a story or floor of a building.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Storay. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Storay 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.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Storay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Storay, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.6%. The next largest groups are White (38.8%) and Hispanic (7.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Storay
The surname STORAY has its origins in the region of Normandy in northern France, dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "estoré," which means "fortified" or "protected." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a person living in a fortified or well-protected area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name STORAY can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Radulfus Storay, who held estates in the county of Suffolk.
During the Middle Ages, the name STORAY appeared in various records across Normandy and neighboring regions. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Jean Storay, a French nobleman who fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France in the 14th century.
As the centuries passed, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as Storey, Storry, and Storer. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the names.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure named William Storay was a wealthy merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol, England. He played a significant role in the city's economic and political affairs during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another noteworthy individual with the surname STORAY was Robert Storay, born in 1682 in the village of Hawick, Scotland. He was a skilled weaver and is credited with introducing the innovative use of patterns in the production of tweed fabrics, which became a prominent industry in the Scottish Borders region.
During the 18th century, the STORAY name gained recognition in the literary world with the writings of Elizabeth Storay, an English poet and essayist. Her works were published in various literary journals and anthologies of the time, showcasing her talent and contributing to the cultural landscape of the period.
In the 19th century, a Scottish engineer named James Storay made significant contributions to the development of steam engine technology. His innovations helped improve the efficiency and performance of early steam-powered machinery, which played a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution.
These are just a few examples of individuals who carried the surname STORAY throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and regions. The name's origins and evolution reflect the rich tapestry of cultural and linguistic influences that have shaped surnames over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Storay
Among Census respondents with the surname Storay, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.6%. The next largest groups are White (38.8%) and Hispanic (7.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Storay 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 Storay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American46.6% · 54
- White38.8% · 45
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 9
- Two or more races6.9% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Storay
Storay 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,996 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+14 bearers (+13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,404 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 7,996 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.7%) | Up 13,404 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 Storay 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 | #158,432 | #145,028 | 8.5% |
| Count | 102 | 116 | 13.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 29.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Storay bearers went from 102 to 116 (+13.7% change). The surname moved up 13,404 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #145,028.
FAQ
Storay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Storay?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Storay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Storay?
Storay ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Storay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Storay.
Has Storay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Storay went from 102 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 14 (+13.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Storay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Storay, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.6%. The next largest groups are White (38.8%) and Hispanic (7.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Storay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.6% (54 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Storay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (46.6%), White (38.8%), Hispanic (7.8%). 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 Storay (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 Storay mean?
A surname derived from the Old French word "estorey" meaning a story or floor of a building. 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 Storay (0.04 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 have the surname Storay?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.