Garay
A surname of likely Basque origin, probably tied to a high place or upland homestead.
The #2,515 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 21,451 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Garay is generally treated as a Basque surname connected with a place-name or house-name. In Basque, garai means “high” or “upper,” so the name likely began as a label for someone from an elevated settlement, a hilltop farm, or a place called Garay. In Spanish records it appears as a hereditary surname, especially among families of Basque heritage.
History
The excerpts place Garay among names associated with Biscayan and broader Basque lineages, with one note on a Garay solar or ancestral house in Sopuerta, Vizcaya. The surname is well established in Spanish-speaking regions and later spread to the Americas through migration. It also appears in some historical surname lists outside Spain, reflecting movement and transcription into other naming traditions.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Garay is one of several Basque surnames built from a simple landscape word, which is why it often sounds like a place name as much as a family name.
From the historical record
“Las vendedoras de frutas en la plaza, Garay. Cierto barco filipino. :-” Garrido. Hérimoso, lindo, agradable. 68 DICCIONARIO”
— Diccionario de los apellidos