Table of contents
Boy name origins & meanings
- Hebrew : Supplanter, substitute; the patron saint of Spain
- Old French : Jay bird
- English : Supplanter; substitute
Boy name variations
How Popular Is The Name Jay
Family name origins & meanings
- English and French : nickname from Middle English, Old French jay(e), gai ‘jay’ (the bird), probably referring to an idle chatterer or a showy person, although the jay was also noted for its thieving habits.
- The name is associated with a Huguenot family from La Rochelle, France, who settled in New Amsterdam. Peter Jay was the scion of the NY Jays; his son John (1745–1829) was a U.S. diplomat and first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.