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

Tay, 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 Tay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tay in America

Tay is the 16536th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tay surname appeared 1,736 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 Tay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tay 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 Tay

The surname Tay has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "tæg," which means a boundary or territory. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with someone who lived near a border or marked boundary.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Tay can be found in the ancient records of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where it was often spelled as "Tay" or "Taye." In the 13th century, there are references to a landowner named John de Tay, who held property in the area now known as Tay Mouth.

One of the notable historical figures bearing this surname was Sir John Tay, a Scottish knight who lived during the 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King James II of Scotland and participated in several military campaigns against the English.

Another notable Tay was Sir Walter Tay, a 16th-century Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of St. Andrews from 1551 to 1558. He played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation and was an advocate for the Protestant cause.

In the 17th century, the surname Tay appeared in various records, including the Ragman Rolls, a collection of documents that recorded the acts of homage made by Scottish nobles and landowners to King Edward I of England in the late 13th century.

The surname Tay also has connections to place names in Scotland. For instance, the village of Taymouth, located in Perthshire, derives its name from the Gaelic words "tàth" meaning quiet or calm, and "abhuinn" meaning river, referring to the nearby River Tay.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Tay, including:

1. John Tay (1550-1615), a Scottish theologian and academic who served as the Principal of the University of Glasgow.
2. William Tay (1617-1675), a Scottish minister and theologian who played a significant role in the Covenanter movement.
3. Archibald Tay (1755-1829), a Scottish merchant and banker who founded the Tay Charitable Trust in Aberdeen.
4. Thomas Tay (1801-1876), a Scottish physician and author who wrote extensively on medical topics.
5. Margaret Tay (1844-1926), a Scottish educator and suffragist who campaigned for women's rights and access to higher education.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tay

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

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

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

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