This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the hay,' i.e. the haw or hedge, an enclosure; compare Hayward or Haward, a hedge-ward; v. Haig and Hawe. The popular form in the North of England was Haig, Haigh, and Hague.

'But right so as these holtes, and these haves, That have in winter dead been and dry.': Chaucer.

Eborard de de Heys. Norfolk, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

John del Heys, Norfolk, ibid.

Nicholas de la Hay, Lincolnshire, ibid.

Robert in the Hay, Close Roll, 18 Richard II.

Ricardus del Haye, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Petrus del Hay, 1379: ibid.

Cecilia de la Hay, Somerset, Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

William atte Haye. Placitorum in domo capitulari Westmonasteriensi.

A considerable number of OHG. words were introduced into Gallo-Roman speech between the eighth and tenth centuries. Among the words then introduced was haga, which we find in the Capitularies of Charles the Bald (823—877) spelled haia, the modern French hale, a hedge. By the middle of the eleventh century or earlier the word had entered into the name of a place in the arrondissement of Coutance-La Have du Puits, and so gave name to a family de la Haye. The first of the name in Scotland was probably William de Haya who obtained the lands of Herrol (Errol) in Gowrie from William the Lion c. 1178—82 (SCM., II, p. 303), and is in record as witnessing charters by Malcolm IV after 1160 and others by William the Lion c. 1170—1200 (REM., 5; LAC., p. 1; and elsewhere). In one of the charters of Malcolm he is styled pincerna or cup-bearer to the king. Another William de Haia, a churchman, clerk to Gilbert, earl of Strathern, is in record c. 1206—11 (LIM., XXV; RAA., I, 86). David de Haya was vicecomes of Forfar c. 1200—14 (RAA., I, 64). Thomas de Haya made a gift to the Hospital of Soltre c. 1202—38 (Soltre, p. 15). John de Haye witnessed a confirmation charter by Alexander II dated at Muschelbracht, 1228 (RMP., p. 215), and with Thomas de Haya witnessed a charter of the earldom of Levenax to Maldouen in the same year (Levenax, p. 2). Edmund de la Haye and Thomas de la Haye of Perthshire and Huwe de la Haye of Fife rendered homage, 1296 (Bain, II, p. 204). Thomas de Hay, lord of Lochorwirt, was a charter witness c. 1300—20 (Hay, p. 6). Of William Hay, Constable, slain at Dupplin, 1332, Boece tells us that his race would nave been extinguished had not his wife been pregnant, "an old fable often repeated in our histories" says Lord Hailes (Annals, II, p. 187). Hugo dictus Haiy held land in Ayr before 1320 (RMS., I, 43), and Thomas de Hay was one of the hostages for ransom of King David II, 1363 (Bain, IV, 81).

(English) Dweller at the Hedge [Old English hege] or Hedged Enclosure [Old English ge)hæg, haga] Stephen de la Haye.—Hand. Rolls. John de la Hay.—Parl. Writs.

For ther is neither busk [bush] nor hay In May that it nyl [will not] shrouded bene, And it with newe leves wrene [covered] —Chaucer, Rom. of the Rose, 54-6.

(Celtic) for O’Hay, q.v.

Anglo-Saxon haeg, French haie, a hedge, and that which it encloses-a field or park. The map of Normandy shows many localities called La Haie, and from one of these, doubtless, came, in early Norman times, if not actually at the Conquest, the family once eminent in England and still so in Scotland. The name was written De Haia and De la Hay. King Henry I. gave to Robert de Haia the lordship of Halnaker, co. Sussex, and so early as the close of the XII. cent. William de H. passed into Scotland and held the office of pincerna regis or king's butler, temp. William the Lion. From his two sons descend Hay, marquis of Tweeddale, and Hay, earl of Errol, hereditary lord high constable of Scotland. These are well-ascertained facts, but tradition assigns a different origin both to name and family. It asserts that in 980 a yeoman called John de Luz and his two sons by their prowess reinvigorated the army of Kenneth III., when they were on the point of succumbing to the Danes. They took the yokes from the oxen with which they were ploughing, and so belaboured the invaders as to drive them from the field, amidst shouts of Say! Say! The king in reward for these services gave the yeoman as much land as a falcon could fly round (the lands of Loncarty near Fife), and in memory of the event the family adopted a falcon for their crest, two husbandmen with ox-yokes for their supporters, and Hay for their surname.

Parishes in Middlesex and Kent.

In the reign of Kenneth II, about 980, the Danes having invaded Scotland, were encountered by that king near Loncarty in Perthshire; the Scots at first gave way and fled through a narrow pass where they were stopped by a countryman of great strength and courage, and his two sons, with no other weapons than the yokes of their ploughs, upbraiding the fugitives for their cowardice, he succeeded in rallying them, and the battle being renewed, the Danes were defeated. After the victory was obtained, the old man lying on the ground, wounded and fatigued, cried "Hay, hay," which word became the surname of his posterity, and the king, as a reward for his signal service, gave him as much land in the Carse of Gowrie, as a falcon should fly over before it settled, and a falcon being accordingly let off, flew over an extent of ground six miles in length, afterwards called Errol, and lighted on a stone, still called Falcon stone; the king also assigned three shields or escutcheons for the arms of the family, to intimate that the father and his two sons had been the three fortunate shields of Scotland.

As Cornish names, from hay, hey, an enclosure or a churchyard. There are places named Hay in Ladock, Quethiock, and St. Breock.

A hedge, an inclosure, to inclose, fence in, a protection, a place of safety. In Dutch, Haag; Saxon, Hege; German, Heck; Danish, Hekkee; Swedish, Hagn; French, Haie; Welsh, Cae; Gaelic, Ca; Cornish-British, Hoy.

"In the reign of Kenneth III. (says Douglass), about 980, the Danes having invaded Scotland, were encountered by that king, near Loncarty, in Perthshire. The Scots at first gave way, and fled through a narrow pass, where they were stopped by a countryman of great strength and courage, and his two sons, with no other weapons than the yokes of their plows. Upbraiding the fugitives for their cowardice, he succeeded in rallying them; the battle was renewed, and the Danes totally discomfited. It is said, that after the victory was obtained, the old man, lying on the ground wounded and fatigued, cried 'Say, Say, which word became the surname of his posterity. The king, as a reward for that signal service, gave him as much land in the Carse of Gowrie as a falcon should fly over before it settled; and a falcon being accordingly let off, flew over an extent of ground six miles in length, afterward called Errol, and lighted on a stone still called Falconstone or Hawkstone."