Kay

Kay Meaning & Origin

About Kay
The surname Kay has multiple origins and meanings. In some cases, it is derived from the Old Welsh word "cay" or "cai," meaning "quay" or "wharf," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived or worked near a quay. In other instances, Kay is a variant of the surname Key, which originated from the Old English word "cǣg," meaning "key." This suggests that the name may have been occupational, given to someone who made or used keys. Additionally, Kay can also be a short form of the given name Katherine or a variant of the surname McKay, derived from the Gaelic word "Mac Aodha," meaning "son of Aodh" (a personal name meaning "fire"). Overall, the meaning of the surname Kay can vary depending on its specific origin and context.

🌍 Origin
📏 Surname Length
💬 Number of Syllables
🔠 Starting Letter
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Popularity

Surname Popularity by Ethnicity

The surname Kay is a unique entry in our records. Discover more about its distribution and characteristics:

  • Number of People with the name Kay: 24,337
  • Overall Popularity: 0.01%
  • Ranking: 1,467
  • Frequency per 100k people: 8.25

Below is the ethnic distribution of the surname Kay based on recent US Census records. This is a brief glimpse into the diverse backgrounds of people carrying this surname.

Ranking information for the surname Kay is not currently available.

Pronunciation

📇 Metaphone
K
🗽 NYSIIS
CA
🔊 Soundex
K000
🎵 Syllabic Pronunciation
K EY1
🌐 IPA
/keɪ/
🔊 Double Metaphone
('K', '')
🈯 Cross-Lingual Phonetic
K000

Accessibility & Communication

How to write the name Kay in Braille

Here's how to represent Kay in Braille, each pattern of raised dots corresponds to a letter in the name.

The name Kay in braille

How to sign the name Kay using Sign Language

The image below shows how you can spell Kay using American Sign Language (ASL). In sign language, each hand shape corresponds to a specific a letter of the name.

The name Kay in sign language

Numerology