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

Tamay, 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 Tamay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tamay in America

Tamay is the 36900th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tamay surname appeared 605 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 Tamay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tamay 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 Tamay

The surname TAMAY originated in the region of Brittany, France, during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the old Breton language word "tam," meaning "estate" or "domain." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who owned or lived on a particular estate or land holding.

The earliest known records of the TAMAY surname date back to the 12th century, with references found in various charters and legal documents from the region. One notable example is a charter from 1187, which mentions a "Guillemus de Tamay" as a witness to a land transfer.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the famous Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry lists a "Robertus de Tamay" as holding lands in the county of Dorset.

During the Middle Ages, the name was also found in other parts of France, possibly due to migration or the establishment of new branches of the family. For instance, a "Jean Tamay" was recorded as a resident of the town of Troyes in the year 1348.

Over the centuries, the TAMAY name has undergone various spelling variations, such as Tamaye, Tameye, and Tamaie, reflecting regional differences in pronunciation and scribal practices of the time.

One notable figure bearing the TAMAY surname was Jean-Baptiste Tamay (1609-1681), a French architect and engineer who worked on several notable projects, including the reconstruction of the Palais du Luxembourg in Paris.

Another historically significant individual was Marguerite Tamay (1722-1795), a French Revolutionary who played an active role in the events of the French Revolution and was known for her support of women's rights.

In the 19th century, there was a prominent French painter named Jacques-Charles Tamay (1803-1878), whose works were exhibited in the prestigious Paris Salon and are now part of collections in various museums.

The TAMAY name also found its way to other parts of Europe, including Spain, where a notable figure was Antonio Tamay y Blay (1855-1932), a Spanish politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Spanish Parliament.

Finally, one of the earliest recorded instances of the TAMAY surname in North America was that of Pierre Tamay (1685-1755), a French immigrant who settled in the colony of Louisiana and became a successful landowner and trader.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tamay

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

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

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

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