2000
#51,583
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 379
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Rare Last name
Quaye
A surname of Scottish origin, possibly derived from the Gaelic "cuaigh" meaning a cup or bowl.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,201 Americans carry the last name Quaye. That puts it at #24,844 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 285,391 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quaye surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Quaye with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 285,391
Census rank
#24,844
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,047 bearers of the surname Quaye in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24844th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quaye, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quaye
The surname Quaye is believed to have originated in the region of West Africa, specifically in the present-day country of Ghana. It is thought to have its roots in the Ga-Adangme language spoken by the Ga people, who are among the major ethnic groups of the Greater Accra Region.
The name Quaye is believed to have derived from the Ga word "kwe," which means "born on Wednesday." In many West African cultures, names are often given based on the day of the week or circumstances surrounding a child's birth. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name Quaye were likely born on a Wednesday, and the name became a surname passed down through generations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quaye can be found in the archives of the Ga Traditional Council, which has records dating back to the 17th century. These records document the existence of individuals with the surname Quaye during the time of the Ga Kingdom, which ruled over parts of present-day Ghana from the 16th to the 19th century.
In the late 18th century, a notable figure named Nii Quaye Tetteh I served as the Ga Mantse (King) of the Ga Kingdom. He ruled from 1781 to 1801 and was instrumental in preserving the traditions and cultural heritage of the Ga people during a time of political turmoil.
Another prominent individual with the surname Quaye was Emmanuel Kwasi Quaye, born in 1935, who was a Ghanaian politician and diplomat. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana from 1979 to 1981 and played a significant role in shaping Ghana's foreign policy during that period.
In the field of education, Dr. Albert Quaye, born in 1942, was a renowned Ghanaian academic and author. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast from 1998 to 2004 and made significant contributions to the advancement of higher education in Ghana.
Additionally, the name Quaye has been associated with several notable figures in the arts and entertainment industry. For instance, Benjamin Quaye, born in 1981, is a Ghanaian-British musician and record producer who has worked with various international artists and contributed to the global music scene.
While the surname Quaye is predominantly found in Ghana and among the Ga people, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the West African region, particularly to the Ga-Adangme language and cultural traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quaye
Among Census respondents with the surname Quaye, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Quaye bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Quaye surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American90.7% · 950
- White4.7% · 49
- Two or more races2.9% · 30
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quaye
Quaye appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#29,740
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 791
+412 bearers (+108.7%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 21,843 places
2020
#24,844
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,047
+256 bearers (+32.4%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Up 4,896 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #51,583 | 379 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,740 | 791 | 0.27 | +412 bearers (+108.7%) | Up 21,843 places |
| 2020 | #24,844 | 1,047 | 0.35 | +256 bearers (+32.4%) | Up 4,896 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Quaye surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #29,740 | #24,844 | 16.5% |
| Count | 791 | 1,047 | 32.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.35 | 29.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quaye bearers went from 791 to 1,047 (+32.4% change). The surname moved up 4,896 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,740 to #24,844.
FAQ
Quaye surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quaye?
Name Census estimates that about 1,201 living Americans carry the surname Quaye. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 285,391 residents.
How common is Quaye?
Quaye ranks #24,844 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,047 people with the surname Quaye. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,201), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Quaye.
Has Quaye become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quaye went from 791 recorded bearers to 1,047. That is an increase of 256 (+32.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #29,740 to #24,844.
What does the Census say about the background of Quaye?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quaye, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Quaye in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (950 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quaye appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (90.7%), White (4.7%), Two or More Races (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Quaye (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Quaye mean?
A surname of Scottish origin, possibly derived from the Gaelic "cuaigh" meaning a cup or bowl. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Quaye (0.35 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Quaye?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Quaye, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.