Lay
Surname Origin
Surname Origin
Explore the Lay
Explore the lives of your ancestors
Your name is all it takes to get started
Explore the Lay Family Tree Lay Born: Father Born: Mother Born:
Explore the lives of your ancestors We'll help you connect with your ancestors and explore their lives
Uncover your family tree Your name is all it takes to get started, and it's FREE!
Lay Genealogy and Family History What does the Lay surname reveal about your family history?
The earliest occurrence of the Lay surname in our family history documents is from 1538, and we currently have 147,261 records where Lay appears . Here are a few more facts to get you started…
178 Lays were recorded as working in domestic service in the 1901 Census.
In the early 1900s Lays were most likely to live in London.
Not all Lays were law-abiding. We found 74 in criminal records.
217 Lays served in the First World War.
Start building your Lay family story Become one of the millions of users who are building their family tree with us. Create yours today for free.
Discover Lay records Lays in military recordsWere your ancestors war heroes?
Lays in census recordsWhere did your family live & what did they do?
Lays in convict recordsDid your family have a brush with the law?
Lays in parish recordsWhere were your family born, married, and buried?
{"hostname":"www.findmypast.co.uk","user":{"ip_address":"54.225.17.239","featureToggleClientKey":"577cda73711b1406ea0013c1","toggles":{"uk-hide-ppv":false,"ent-edit-pencils-in-profile":true,"dashboard-upsell-experiment":"excluded","worldtree-profile":true,"remove-chevrons-from-atoz-page-region-filters":false,"fmp-single-click-payment":true,"us-homepage-dashboard-experiment":"excluded","homepage-dashboard-experiment":"excluded","safe-tutorial-experiment":true,"opted-out-of-newsletter-by-default-when-registering-toggle":true,"hints-in-search-results":true,"view-master-notifications-toggle":true,"hint-paywall":"excluded","fmp-view-all-notifications-dropdown-link":true,"dashboard-suggested-records-experiment":false,"safe-search-results-tutorial-toggle":true,"fmp-ie-notifications-toggle":true,"us-education-experiment":false,"search-results-quick-edit-counts":true,"record-search-zendesk-live-chat":false,"uk-multi-month-experiment":"UK1-12","hint-management":false,"transcripts-served-by-titan":true,"filter-results-mobile-improvements":false,"my-records-to-titan":false,"fmp-au-notifications-toggle":true,"fmp-us-notifications-toggle":true,"tree-rex-world-tree-edit-toggle":false,"search-button-result-count-switch":true,"view-all-notifications-mark-all-as-read-toggle":true,"mark-all-master-notifications-as-read":true,"updates-to-main-registration-ui-2":false,"tweety-homepage-dashboard-experiment":false,"opentree-family-search-add-modal":false,"search-results-error-if-no-matching-config-found":false,"safe-help-button-on-search-page":true,"separate-facebook-component-sign-in-and-registration-functions":true,"worldtree-profile-changelog":true,"cross-domain-experiment-test":true,"open-tree-ugc-info-modal":true,"hints-merge-suppress-confirm":true,"findmyhouse-map":true,"new-entitlement-refactor-test":false,"titan-event-type-selector":false,"safe-help-button-on-results-page":true,"safe-atoz-instructional-content":true,"include-master-notifications-in-count":true,"us-homepage-hero-experiment":false,"library-portal":false,"titan-result-count-on-search-button":true,"fmp-uk-notifications-toggle":true,"us-subscribe-page":false,"homepage-search-button-result-count":true,"ci-integration-test":false},"member_id":null,"ld_key":"76d02cbc-1ead-4474-938a-db418ca0bde7","anonymous":true,"analytics":{"login_status":"false","lde":"false","is_library":"false","datasource_failures":0}},"environment":"production","apolloState":{"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.data.0":{"key":"datasource_failures","value":"0","__typename":"AnalyticsData"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.data.1":{"key":"is_library","value":"false","__typename":"AnalyticsData"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.data.2":{"key":"lde","value":"false","__typename":"AnalyticsData"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.data.3":{"key":"login_status","value":"false","__typename":"AnalyticsData"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics":{"data":[{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.data.0","typename":"AnalyticsData"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.data.1","typename":"AnalyticsData"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.data.2","typename":"AnalyticsData"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.data.3","typename":"AnalyticsData"}],"experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"})":[{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).0","typename":"Experiment"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).1","typename":"Experiment"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).2","typename":"Experiment"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).3","typename":"Experiment"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).4","typename":"Experiment"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).5","typename":"Experiment"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).6","typename":"Experiment"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).7","typename":"Experiment"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).8","typename":"Experiment"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).9","typename":"Experiment"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).10","typename":"Experiment"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).11","typename":"Experiment"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).12","typename":"Experiment"}],"__typename":"Analytics"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).0":{"featureFlag":"hint-paywall","experimentId":"8685d4c4-7cd2-4886-9ac0-d37c24597317","experimentSlot":"10","experimentDomain":"uk","__typename":"Experiment"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).1":{"featureFlag":"hint-management","experimentId":"f1835edb-1be6-42cc-b5b7-ad81b67b8950","experimentSlot":"0","experimentDomain":"uk","__typename":"Experiment"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).2":{"featureFlag":"homepage-dashboard-experiment","experimentId":"4bfbec26-75f5-4231-a25c-cb3b8c0a5025","experimentSlot":"1","experimentDomain":"uk","__typename":"Experiment"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).3":{"featureFlag":"uk-hide-ppv","experimentId":"8b1890cf-5d35-484d-8fa6-1a72ca3e1320","experimentSlot":"3","experimentDomain":"uk","__typename":"Experiment"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).4":{"featureFlag":"dashboard-upsell-experiment","experimentId":"fbb9efd5-653d-4695-9221-f687063190bc","experimentSlot":"2","experimentDomain":"uk","__typename":"Experiment"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).5":{"featureFlag":"uk-multi-month-experiment","experimentId":"33855ad8-e14d-4b72-96db-127b5f99e134","experimentSlot":"4","experimentDomain":"uk","__typename":"Experiment"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).6":{"featureFlag":"hints-merge-suppress-confirm","experimentId":"9b4a250f-6c85-470e-b09b-3804945faa4b","experimentSlot":"5","experimentDomain":"uk","__typename":"Experiment"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).7":{"featureFlag":"cross-domain-experiment-test","experimentId":"24f79baf-431d-4bbf-8f0d-b2392813fbb0","experimentSlot":"1","experimentDomain":"all","__typename":"Experiment"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).8":{"featureFlag":"hints-in-search-results","experimentId":"ac21341a-2e91-4355-b7fa-bfd3abcc24c6","experimentSlot":"0","experimentDomain":"all","__typename":"Experiment"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).9":{"featureFlag":"transcripts-served-by-titan","experimentId":"833b7a8d-f11a-4613-bcd0-a0872adf7143","experimentSlot":"2","experimentDomain":"all","__typename":"Experiment"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).10":{"featureFlag":"dashboard-suggested-records-experiment","experimentId":"5ba09520-28be-4305-b8d6-a3ac45065ae5","experimentSlot":"4","experimentDomain":"all","__typename":"Experiment"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).11":{"featureFlag":"updates-to-main-registration-ui-2","experimentId":"e0b38d6b-dc42-4d83-a82d-dd4276c95277","experimentSlot":"3","experimentDomain":"all","__typename":"Experiment"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics.experiments({\"locale\":\"en_GB\"}).12":{"featureFlag":"titan-event-type-selector","experimentId":"a709a53b-dd75-48b5-9bc5-8d5244010392","experimentSlot":"5","experimentDomain":"all","__typename":"Experiment"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root":{"analytics":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.analytics","typename":"Analytics"},"__typename":"Root","surnameDomain":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain","typename":"SurnameDomain"}},"ROOT_QUERY":{"root":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root","typename":"Root"}},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.0":{"type":"criminalRecordCount","properties":[{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.0.properties.0","typename":"SurnameFactProperty"}],"__typename":"SurnameFact"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.0.properties.0":{"type":"count","value":"74","__typename":"SurnameFactProperty"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.1":{"type":"earliestOccurrenceOf","properties":[{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.1.properties.0","typename":"SurnameFactProperty"}],"__typename":"SurnameFact"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.1.properties.0":{"type":"year","value":"1538","__typename":"SurnameFactProperty"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.2":{"type":"firstWorldWarCount","properties":[{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.2.properties.0","typename":"SurnameFactProperty"}],"__typename":"SurnameFact"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.2.properties.0":{"type":"count","value":"217","__typename":"SurnameFactProperty"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.3":{"type":"mostCommonOccupation","properties":[{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.3.properties.0","typename":"SurnameFactProperty"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.3.properties.1","typename":"SurnameFactProperty"}],"__typename":"SurnameFact"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.3.properties.0":{"type":"count","value":"178","__typename":"SurnameFactProperty"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.3.properties.1":{"type":"occupation","value":"domestic","__typename":"SurnameFactProperty"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.4":{"type":"mostLikelyLocation","properties":[{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.4.properties.0","typename":"SurnameFactProperty"}],"__typename":"SurnameFact"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.4.properties.0":{"type":"location","value":"london","__typename":"SurnameFactProperty"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.5":{"type":"numberOfRecords","properties":[{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.5.properties.0","typename":"SurnameFactProperty"}],"__typename":"SurnameFact"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.5.properties.0":{"type":"count","value":"147261","__typename":"SurnameFactProperty"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"})":{"facts":[{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.0","typename":"SurnameFact"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.1","typename":"SurnameFact"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.2","typename":"SurnameFact"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.3","typename":"SurnameFact"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.4","typename":"SurnameFact"},{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"}).facts.5","typename":"SurnameFact"}],"canonical":"Lay","additionalMeaning":null,"__typename":"Surname"},"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain":{"surname({\"name\":\"lay\"})":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.root.surnameDomain.surname({\"name\":\"lay\"})","typename":"Surname"},"__typename":"SurnameDomain"}}}
