Pronunciation | /ˈkeɪ/ |
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Language(s) | English |
Origin | |
Language(s) | Old Breton, Welsh, Cornish Old English |
Derivation | "cai", "key" (wharf) "coeg" (key) |
Meaning | "wharf" or "key" |
Other names | |
Variant form(s) |
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Kay is an English surname. It derives from the Old Breton and Welsh cai and the Cornish key meaning "wharf", or from the Old English coeg meaning "key". [1] [2] The surname is also a diminutive of MacKay and McKay. [3] [4] In England, the Kay(e)s of Lancashire and Yorkshire are believed to be related to the ancient Kaye family of Woodesham, Yorkshire, and there is also a Kay Family Association. [5]
Notable people with this surname include: