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Nay Family History

Nay Name Meaning

Scottish and Irish: reduced form of McNay. English: variant of Nye. French: habitational name from places so called in Manche and Pyrénées Atlantiques, possibly named with Latin Nadium, from a Gaulish personal name, Nadius. Dutch: metonymic occupational name for a tailor or embroiderer, from a derivative of naaien ‘to sew’. Jewish (Ashkenazic): Yiddish equivalent of German Neu.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: May, Ney, Hay, Kay, Say, Ray, Lay, Nau, Pay, Gay

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Nay family from?

You can see how Nay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Nay family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Nay families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 18 Nay families living in Virginia. This was about 30% of all the recorded Nay's in USA. Virginia had the highest population of Nay families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Nay surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Nay ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Nay. 19% of Nay men worked as a Laborer and 16% of Nay women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Nay were Salesman and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Nay | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    19%
  • Farmer
    19%
  • Truck Driver
    6%
  • Salesman
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    16%
  • Stenographer
    11%
  • Housekeeper
    10%
  • Clerk
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Nay family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 24,000 census records available for the last name Nay. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Nay census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Nay

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Nay. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Nay immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Nay. For the veterans among your Nay ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Nay military records

You've only scratched the surface of Nay family history

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What is the average Nay lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Nay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Nay in 1942 was 41, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Nay

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