Fay Family History

Fay Surname Meaning

English: nickname for a person believed to have supernatural qualities from Middle English Old French faie ‘fairy witch’ (from Late Latin fata ‘fate destiny’). English: nickname for a trustworthy person from Middle English Old French fei ‘loyalty trust’.

English (of Norman origin) and French: habitational name from any of various places in France named with Old French faie (from Latin fagus) ‘beech’ such as Fay in Orne Sarthe or Somme or a topographic name from someone living by a beech tree or beech wood. Compare Faye.

Irish: variant of Fahey or Fee. German: from a short form of the female personal name Sophia (see Sofia).

Chinese: possibly from Cantonese form of the Chinese name 輝 (meaning ‘glorious’) a monosyllabic personal name or part of a disyllabic personal name of some early Chinese immigrants in the US.

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

Similar surnames: Hay, Kay, May, Ray, Gay, Pay, Bay, Say, Foy, Day

209K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
30K	Military Records
26K	Immigration Records
200K	Census and Voter Lists
308K	Member Trees

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Where is the Fay family from?

You can see how Fay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fay family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fay families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 426 Fay families living in Lancashire. This was about 27% of all the recorded Fay's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Fay families in 1891.

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

View Census Data for Fay

What did your Fay ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General labourer and Unpaid domestic duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Fay. 20% of Fay men worked as a General labourer and 74% of Fay women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Fay were Builders labourer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Fay

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.

General labourer

20%

Bricklayer

Dock labourer

Builders labourer

Unpaid domestic duties

74%

Unpaid domestic

Domestic duties

Housewife

What Fay family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 200K census records available for the last name Fay. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fay census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Fay

Passenger List

There are 26K immigration records available for the last name Fay. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Fay immigration records

Military Records

There are 30K military records available for the last name Fay. For the veterans among your Fay ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fay military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fay family history

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What is the average Fay lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Fay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Fay in 1940 was 53, and 78 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Fay family tree

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Fay Surname Meaning

Irish: variant of Fahey or Fee. German: from a short form of the female personal name Sophia (see Sofia).

Chinese: possibly from Cantonese form of the Chinese name 輝 (meaning ‘glorious’) a monosyllabic personal name or part of a disyllabic personal name of some early Chinese immigrants in the US.

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

Where is the Fay family from?

What did your Fay 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.

General labourer

20%

Bricklayer

Dock labourer

Builders labourer

Unpaid domestic duties

74%

Unpaid domestic

Domestic duties

Housewife

What Fay family records will you find?

What is the average Fay lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Fay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Fay in 1940 was 53, and 78 in 2004.

Fay Family History

Fay Surname Meaning

774,000 record(s) for Fay

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

Where is the Fay family from?

What did your Fay ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Fay family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Fay family history

What is the average Fay lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Fay family tree

Search for another surname

Fay Surname Meaning

774,000 record(s) for Fay

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

Where is the Fay family from?

What did your Fay ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Fay family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Fay family history

What is the average Fay lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Fay family tree

Search for another surname