Origins of the Hay surname

About the Hays

We have a total of 119335 records for people with the last name Hay.

Find out more about your family in our records

    or try an advanced search
    Start free trial
    “
    I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.
    SS
    Stuart
    Trustpilot logoTrustpilot 5 stars
    1 of 3

    Start your family tree

    Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Hays.

    Sign up to get started

    Delve deeper into the Hay family's history

    OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 602North West 114Isle of Man 17Yorkshire 251East Midlands 96West Midlands 92East 303London 885South East 313South West 119South Wales 80Mid Wales 25West WalesNorth Wales 10Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

    In 1921, most Hays lived in london

    Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

    28,000 Hay Travel & migration records
    91,000 Hays found in all Census records

    Interesting facts about Hay

    How common is your surname?

    445th most common surname in the UK

    We have for the Hay surname. The oldest one dates back to 1100.

    Who were Hays most likely to marry?

    Our tell us which families married Hays.

    What are the most common Hay first names?

    John

    James

    Mary

    Margaret

    Our tell us the names of Hay family members
    Man with milk churns and census card collage
    Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

    Common jobs for Hays

    Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

    Commmon female occupations for Hays in 1921

    Dressmaker

    491

    Domestic Servant

    397

    Housekeeper

    311

    F S

    287

    Annuitant

    269

    Commmon male occupations for Hays in 1921

    Farmer

    507

    Coal Miner

    498

    Mason

    357

    Fisherman

    338

    Farm Servant

    309

    We found over 400,000 family trees with the Hay surname

    Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Hays.

    Search for a relative in our family trees

    Learn more about the lives of Hay family members

    How rare is your surname?

    Have you ever wondered if your family na...

    The rise and fall of these disappearing British surnames

    Could your surname be on the brink of di...

    English surnames explained: The seven types of last names you should know

    Ever wondered where our last names come...

    How to find the maiden names of women in your family tree

    Try these simple tricks to pinpoint your...

    4 simple steps to starting your family history journey

    Starting your family history journey is...

    Share your discoveries

    Share to WhatsApp

    Share to Facebook

    Look for a different surname