Jay Family History

Jay Surname Meaning

English and French: nickname from Middle English jai jei Old French jay(e) gai ‘jay’ (the bird) probably referring to an idle chatterer, a showy person, or a simpleton, although the jay was also noted for its thieving habits.

English: from the unrecorded Middle English personal names Jay or Gee, which may have been pet forms of several names beginning with J-, such as Jack, James, and Jeffery (Geoffrey).

See Jason and Jesson.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 謝.

See Xie.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Gay, May, Fay, Ray, Say, Kay, Pay, Hay, Joy, Bay

143K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
21K	Military Records
12K	Immigration Records
138K	Census and Voter Lists
260K	Member Trees

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Where is the Jay family from?

You can see how Jay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Jay family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Jay families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 127 Jay families living in Ontario. This was about 36% of all the recorded Jay's in Canada. Ontario and 1 other province had the highest population of Jay families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Jay surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Jay

What did your Jay ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Jay. 35% of Jay men worked as a Farmer and 46% of Jay women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Jay were Farmers son and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Jay

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Farmer

35%

Labourer

10%

Laborer

Farmers son

Housewife

46%

Clerk

19%

Servant

19%

Housekeeper

19%

What Jay family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 138K census records available for the last name Jay. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Jay census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Jay

Passenger List

There are 12K immigration records available for the last name Jay. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Jay immigration records

Military Records

There are 21K military records available for the last name Jay. For the veterans among your Jay ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Jay military records

You've only scratched the surface of Jay family history

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What is the average Jay lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Jay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Jay in 1946 was 45, and 72 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Jay family tree

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Jay Surname Meaning

English: from the unrecorded Middle English personal names Jay or Gee, which may have been pet forms of several names beginning with J-, such as Jack, James, and Jeffery (Geoffrey).

See Jason and Jesson.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 謝.

See Xie.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Where is the Jay family from?

What did your Jay ancestors do for a living?

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Farmer

35%

Labourer

10%

Laborer

Farmers son

Housewife

46%

Clerk

19%

Servant

19%

Housekeeper

19%

What Jay family records will you find?

What is the average Jay lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Jay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Jay in 1946 was 45, and 72 in 2004.

Jay Family History

Jay Surname Meaning

576,000 record(s) for Jay

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Jay family from?

What did your Jay ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Jay family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Jay family history

What is the average Jay lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Jay family tree

Search for another surname

Jay Surname Meaning

576,000 record(s) for Jay

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Jay family from?

What did your Jay ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Jay family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Jay family history

What is the average Jay lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Jay family tree

Search for another surname