Jay
See also: jay
EnglishEdit
PronunciationEdit
Etymology 1Edit
Proper nounEdit
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.
Alternative formsEdit
- Jaye (surname)
Derived termsEdit
Etymology 2Edit
Proper nounEdit
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.
See alsoEdit
Etymology 3Edit
Borrowed from Hindi जय (jay, literally “victory”).
Proper nounEdit
Jay (plural Jays)
- (India) A male given name from Hindi.