Origins of the Kay surname

About the Kays

We have a total of 178861 records for people with the last name Kay.

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
    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 Kays.

    Sign up to get started

    Delve deeper into the Kay family's history

    OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 849North West 790Isle of Man 45Yorkshire 2548East Midlands 436West Midlands 160East 228London 8377South East 288South West 68South Wales 22Mid Wales 2West Wales 3North Wales 60Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

    In 1921, most Kays lived in london

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

    Interesting facts about Kay

    How common is your surname?

    279th most common surname in the UK

    We have for the Kay surname. The oldest one dates back to 1486.

    Who were Kays most likely to marry?

    Our tell us which families married Kays.

    What are the most common Kay first names?

    John

    William

    Mary

    Elizabeth

    Our tell us the names of Kay 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 Kays

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

    Commmon female occupations for Kays in 1921

    Cotton Weaver

    1,436

    Dressmaker

    638

    Housekeeper

    412

    Cotton Winder

    337

    Weaver

    312

    Commmon male occupations for Kays in 1921

    Coal Miner

    832

    Cotton Weaver

    593

    Farmer

    417

    General Labourer

    388

    Joiner

    385

    We found over 210,000 family trees with the Kay surname

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

    Search for a relative in our family trees

    Learn more about the lives of Kay family members

    Share your discoveries

    Look for a different surname