Dey
A surname found in medieval England, probably from the Old English word for a servant or dairy worker, though some cases may have other local origins.
The #8,019 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 74,811 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is most likely connected with Middle English deye or dey, a word for a dairymaid or female farm servant. That fits the way some early records show the name attached to ordinary people in medieval England. In a few cases, however, Dey may have different origins or later spelling simplifications, so it is not always possible to be certain from the surname alone.
History
The name appears in English records by the late 1300s, especially in Yorkshire and other northern areas. Later spellings and forms can overlap with unrelated names, so the surname has sometimes been recorded in more than one way over time. It remains relatively uncommon, including in modern U.S. records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Chaucer used the word dey in the sense of a dairy worker, showing that the term was part of everyday medieval English.
From the historical record
“WilleliniuDey,i379:P.T.yorkap.i3. Ricardua Dey, 1379 : ibid p. 3. Thomaa It Dey. 1370 : ibid. p. 37. Stephen le Dsgh. T.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances