Etymology 1
Proper noun
Jay (countable and uncountable, plural Jays)
- (countable) An English surname transferred from the nickname from Old French jai (“jay (bird)”), a nickname for a chatty or showy person.
- A placename
- A hamlet in Leintwardine parish, Herefordshire, England; named in the c. 13th century for the Jay family, prominent in that area (OS grid ref SO3974).
- A locale in the United States.
- A town in Santa Rosa County, Florida; named for postmaster J. T. Nowling.
- A town in Franklin County, Maine; named for American statesman and Founding Father John Jay.
- A town in Essex County, New York; named for John Jay.
- A city, the county seat of Delaware County, Oklahoma; named for Jay Washburn, nephew of Cherokee leader Stand Watie.
- A town on the Canadian border in Orleans County, Vermont; named for John Jay.
- A township in Martin County, Minnesota.
- A township in Elk County, Pennsylvania.
- A former settlement in California.
Etymology 2
Proper noun
Jay (plural Jays)
- A diminutive of the male given names James, Jacob, Jack, John, or Jason, or for any other name beginning with ⟨J⟩; also used as a formal given name.
- A female given name
1947, Alpha Delta Pi, The Adelphean, volume 40, number 2, page 102:To Lt. and Mrs. John Ellingston (Beth Vollstedt), a daughter, Jay Karen, on September 17, 1945.
2007, Gráinne Smith, Families, Carers and Professionals: Building Constructive Conversations:In 1993, my daughter Jay returned home aged 21 after a disastrous marriage.
2010, Ray Thompson, Fires Within, page 206:Within a few weeks, having endured a number of lengthy interviews, Jay found herself working in the Beijing office of the bureau of information.