Kay Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Kay last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Kay last name
Meaning of the Kay last name: jackdaw. Kay is an English and Scottish surname with more than one root: in England often a nickname from Middle English ka, "jackdaw", for a chattering person, and in Scotland a short form of Mackay. The last name is common in Lancashire and Yorkshire. Curiously, Sir Kay is King Arthur's foster brother in the old romances.
Arms associated with the Kay name
Coats of arms associated with the Kay surname follow English heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Kay family history
This is only a glimpse of the Kay story. The full Kay history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Kay coat of arms. Get the full Kay report.
Kay name FAQ
What does the Kay name mean?
Jackdaw. Common variants include Kaye, Key, Keay.
Where does the Kay surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in Scotland, the United States and Australia.
Is there a Kay coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Kay coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).