2000
#7,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,937
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.46
Rare Last name
Slay
An English occupational surname referring to a person who killed animals for a living or a violent person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,335 Americans carry the last name Slay. That puts it at #8,390 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,067 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Slay 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.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 79,067
Census rank
#8,390
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,780 bearers of the surname Slay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8390th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Slay, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Slay
The surname SLAY is an English surname that originated in the county of Devon in the southwestern part of England. The name is derived from the Old English word "slæge," which means "to strike or kill." It is thought to have been an occupational name for a soldier or warrior who was skilled in combat and known for their ability to slay their enemies.
The earliest known record of the surname SLAY dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Devon, where it was spelled "Slegge." This early spelling suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname for someone with a powerful physique or a strong, striking presence.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Slay," "Slaye," and "Sleye," in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire and the Feet of Fines for Essex.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname SLAY was William Slay, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1236. Another early bearer of the name was John Slay, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.
During the medieval period, the surname SLAY was also associated with several notable figures, such as Sir John Slay, a knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century. Another prominent individual was William Slay, a wealthy merchant who lived in Bristol in the late 16th century and was known for his charitable donations to the city.
In the 17th century, the name SLAY appeared in various parish records and court documents, often in connection with landowners and farmers in the counties of Devon and Somerset.
Other notable bearers of the surname SLAY throughout history include:
1. Thomas Slay (1596-1672), an English clergyman and author from Gloucestershire.
2. James Slay (1722-1788), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War.
3. Elizabeth Slay (1779-1856), a British writer and poet from Devon who published several collections of poetry in the early 19th century.
4. Robert Slay (1835-1912), an English businessman and philanthropist who founded a successful shipping company in Liverpool.
5. Sir Arthur Slay (1867-1943), a British politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted for his services to the legal profession.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Slay
Among Census respondents with the surname Slay, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Slay 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 Slay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.3% · 2,620
- Black or African American22.8% · 860
- Two or more races4.3% · 161
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Slay
Slay 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
#8,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,075
+138 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Down 353 places
2020
#8,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,780
-295 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 255 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,782 | 3,937 | 1.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,135 | 4,075 | 1.38 | +138 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 353 places |
| 2020 | #8,390 | 3,780 | 1.26 | -295 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 255 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 Slay 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 | #8,135 | #8,390 | -3.1% |
| Count | 4,075 | 3,780 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.38 | 1.26 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Slay bearers went from 4,075 to 3,780 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 255 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,135 to #8,390.
FAQ
Slay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Slay?
Name Census estimates that about 4,335 living Americans carry the surname Slay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,067 residents.
How common is Slay?
Slay ranks #8,390 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.26 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,780 people with the surname Slay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,335), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.26 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Slay.
Has Slay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Slay went from 4,075 recorded bearers to 3,780. That is a decrease of 295 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,135 to #8,390.
What does the Census say about the background of Slay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Slay, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Slay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.3% (2,620 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Slay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.3%), Black (22.8%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Slay (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 Slay mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who killed animals for a living or a violent person. 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 Slay (1.26 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 Slay?
You can see how many people are called Slay on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.