Gay Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Gay last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Gay last name
Meaning of the Gay last name: cheerful. Gay is an English surname from Old French gai, "cheerful, lively", a nickname for a light-hearted person, and also a medieval first name. In some families it comes from Gaye in northern France. The last name is found in the West Country, especially Devon and Somerset. A curious detail of this family name meaning: John Gay, who wrote The Beggar's Opera, was born in Barnstaple in Devon.
Arms associated with the Gay name
English heralds once toured the counties to check who used a coat of arms, and heraldry associated with the Gay surname belongs to that long tradition.
Get your full Gay family history
This is only a glimpse of the Gay story. The full Gay 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 Gay coat of arms. Get the full Gay report.
Gay name FAQ
What does the Gay name mean?
Cheerful. Common variants include Gaye.
Where does the Gay surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, France and Australia.
Is there a Gay coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gay coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); Albert Dauzat & Marie-Thérèse Morlet, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France.