Surname Vay - Meaning and Origin
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Vay: What does the surname Vay mean?
The last name Vay is of German origin. It is believed to have first originated from Bavaria, where the surname likely derived from the the German word “Wai”, meaning “meadow”. From this, the surname likely was used to denote someone who had lived near or within a meadow.
Eventually, through movement and immigration the name then spread throughout Europe, with immigrants of the surname often making their way to places such as the US, Canada and various other countries.
Throughout the ages, the surname has also given origin to variants such as Wai, Waaij, Waay, Vay, Waaj, Vayh, and Vaij. These later derivations of the surname are not only used by those with German descent but also by those of Dutch and Jewish origin.
The surname Vay is often associated with many different meanings, with one such example being “little wave” or “wave crest”. It is also often used as a metonym to reference the gracefulness of the movement of a wave, further indicating its importance in the larger context of its history.
Overall, the surname Vay has held much importance throughout centuries of German, Dutch, and Jewish heritage. With its evolution and global reach, the surname has come to encompass a variety of different meaning and references which are still celebrated today.
Order DNA origin analysisVay: Where does the name Vay come from?
The last name Vay is found throughout various geographical locations across the world, though it is most commonly found in the United States. In the US, the name is most commonly found in Pennsylvania, followed by New York, New Jersey, and then Massachusetts. Outside of the US, the name is commonly found in Poland, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Ukraine.
Vay as a last name can trace its roots back as far as the 12th century and likely derived from the German word “wah” which means “wood”. It is assumed that the surname was created when families or villagers moved from one area to another, creating a new name in the process.
Today, the name has become increasingly common in the US, with over 11,000 Vay’s living in the country. It is growing especially quickly in California, Texas, and Arizona.
The surname is often associated with the Jewish community due to its prevalence in certain Jewish communities in Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Ukraine. However, it can also be found amongst other ethnic groups in those areas.
The name is also quite common in Australia and New Zealand, though it is unclear where the name originated from in those countries.
No matter where the surname is found today, the Vay name has a long and rich history of migration and assimilation throughout many countries and cultures.
Variations of the surname Vay
The surname Vay is derived from the Old German forename Vito and originates in central and southeastern Europe. It can be spelt Vay, Vey, Vai, Vei, Veyh, Wey, Vaih, Way, Weih, and Wayh.
In some countries, such as Austria and Switzerland, the surname may also be found with the linguistic spelling variants Vöge, Vög, Vögele, Vagele and Vögel.
The surname is also seen as a shortened form of the Vayovits surname and other names beginning with Vay-, such as Vayovits, Vayovitch, Vayanack, Vayanec, Vayanik, Vayar, Vayarik, Vayavin, Vaydek, Vaydman, Vaydov, and Vaydovic.
This surname can also be found in Russian, Ukrainian and Belorussian records as Way, Woy, Vay and Voy, and in Polish and Czech as Woj, Voj, Wej, and Voy.
Other related variant spellings are Veyer, Veyr, Wayer, Veer, Vair, Veyrl, Veyhl, Vaer, Veeh, Veyhr, Vaehrle, Vaehrlich, Vairle, Vaehr, Vaehrig, Vahrig, Veir, Veirl, Vaigl and Veegle.
In Israel, families may be known by the Hebrew surname Way, Vay, Wey, Weh or Vei, and in the United States, the surname can also be found spelled Vea, Via, Veah, Vi, Vayo, Woy, Wa, Weah, and Weyh.
Famous people with the name Vay
- Christian Vay: Hungarian politician and Member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2020.
- Santa Vay: Estonian entrepreneur and businesswoman.
- Viktor Vay: Austrian journalist, author, and historian.
- Aarne Vay: Estonian architect who was active in the Midwest states during the first decades of the 20th century.
- Andras Vay: Hungarian painter, graphic artist, and illustrator who is best known for his portraits.
- Agnes Vay: Hungarian doctor and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County from 1998 until her death in 2000.
- Aleksander Vay: Estonian statesman, lawyer, and finance minister in the period of 1935–42.
- Bela Vay: Hungarian lawyer, essayist, politician, and Minister of Justice of Hungary from 1922 to 1926.
- Brigitte Vay: German journalist and television presenter.
- Gabor Vay: Hungarian professor at the University of Debrecen and a prominent member of the international research community in the field of oscillatory neural networks.