Lay Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Lay last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Lay last name
Meaning of the Lay last name: clearing, meadow. Lay is an English surname from Middle English leye, "clearing, meadow", from Old English leah, for a family living by a woodland clearing. It is the same word found in many place names ending -ley. The last name is found in southern England and across the United States.
Arms associated with the Lay name
Heraldry associated with the Lay surname uses a few strong colours, and each coat of arms has its own blazon.
Get your full Lay family history
This is only a glimpse of the Lay story. The full Lay 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 Lay coat of arms. Get the full Lay report.
Lay name FAQ
What does the Lay name mean?
Clearing, meadow. Common variants include Lea, Lee, Leigh.
Where does the Lay surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Lay coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Lay coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).