Origins of the Day surname

What does the name Day mean?

The Day surname has English, Welsh and Scottish roots. In Scotland and Wales it is sometimes used as a patronymic, a derivation of those who are the son or descendant of Dai (a Welsh diminutive of Dafydd) or David. More prevalently, in England Day comes from the Middle English 'Deye' (dairy-servant), and is occupational. This version of the Day surname would be given to those who made their living as dairy workers, and their descendants.

Alternative variations of the name Day

Day, Dea, Daye, Dey, Deay

Start free trial
“
I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.
SS
Stuart
Trustpilot logoTrustpilot 5 stars
1 of 3

Start your family tree

Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Days.

Sign up to get started

Delve deeper into the Day family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 568North West 384Isle of Man 19Yorkshire 2827East Midlands 691West Midlands 1395East 2881London 7994South East 3516South West 1134South Wales 501Mid Wales 42West Wales 1North Wales 48Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Days lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

46,000 Day Travel & migration records
290,000 Days found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Day

How common is your surname?

110th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Day surname. The oldest one dates back to 1100.

Who were Days most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Days.

What are the most common Day first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Day family members
Man with milk churns and census card collage
Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Days

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common female occupations for Days in 1921

Dressmaker

1,270

Laundress

1,013

Domestic Servant

779

General Servant Domestic

663

General Servant

606

Common male occupations for Days in 1921

Agricultural Labourer

2,022

General Labourer

1,273

Carpenter

1,002

Farm Labourer

981

Farmer

731

We found over 5,700,000 family trees with the Day surname

Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Days.

Search for a relative in our family trees

Learn more about the lives of Day family members

How rare is your surname?

Have you ever wondered if your family na...

The rise and fall of these disappearing British surnames

Could your surname be on the brink of di...

English surnames explained: The seven types of last names you should know

Ever wondered where our last names come...

How to find the maiden names of women in your family tree

Try these simple tricks to pinpoint your...

4 simple steps to starting your family history journey

Starting your family history journey is...

Share your discoveries

Share to WhatsApp

Share to Facebook

Look for a different surname

Paper tear line

Find out more about your family in our records

    or try an advanced search