Meaning and origin
The last name Lay derives from Old English and has two possible origins. Firstly, it could have originated as a topographic name for someone who lived near or worked on a meadow or clearing, deriving from the Old English word "leah," meaning "woodland" or "clearing." Alternatively, it could have been an occupational surname for someone involved in the wool trade, coming from the Old English word "leah," meaning "to lay down" or "to sell." Further research into specific individuals and historical records would be necessary to determine which origin is most accurate in any given case.
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.
#1,957
Lay was the 1,957th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 18,468 people, about 6.0 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Lay
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Lay 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.