Meaning and origin
The last name Kay is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "cāeg," meaning "key." It could have been a topographic name for someone living near a key-shaped or key-associated landmark, or it may have been an occupational surname referring to a key-maker or someone who held a position of authority such as a key-keeper. This name has been found across different regions and countries, including England, Scotland, Ireland, and Germany.
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.
#1,467
Kay was the 1,467th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 24,337 people, about 7.9 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Kay
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Kay 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.