Kaye: Last Name Origin and Family Crest

Kaye? Think of it as Kay with a different pen. At root, the name means “Jackdaw”.

Family crest and blazon

Looking for a Kaye coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours.

How the spelling arose

The extra “e” in Kaye is a spelling habit rather than a different name. Other spellings include Keay.

The Census Bureau's 2010 surname file lists Kaye with 8,627 bearers, at rank 4,113. It sits within the 5,000 most common last names in the country. For the full story, order the Kaye surname pack.