Meaning and origin
The name Hayes can also be traced back to Gaelic roots in Ireland, where it is believed to have originated from the Old Irish word "Ó hAodha," meaning "descendant of Aodh," a personal name associated with fire or inspiration.
The longer story
The last name Hayes has an interesting origin and history. Here are the key facts:
2. The name is derived from the Old English word "heg," meaning "hedge" or "enclosure," and the word "haga," meaning "dweller by the hedge."
3. The name is classified as a habitational surname, indicating that it was originally associated with a particular place or geographical feature.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
#127
Hayes was the 127th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 194,246 people, about 66 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Hayes
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Hayes is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.