An English and French surname, the family name of Gay comes from the Old French term ‘gai’ and the Latin term ‘gaius’ which means to be happy, cheerful and glad. The spelling variations for Gay include Gayre, Gaye, Gai, Gair, Gear and Legay. A German spelling for Gay is Gau. In England the Gay family name is located across England and most of Wales. It originated in Kent, Norfolk, the city of London and Oxfordshire. The higher populated areas are Yorkshire, Norfolk, Essex, the city of London, Cornwall, Somerset, Devon and into the southern coastal area of Wales. In Scotland the eastern portion of the country have many with the gay family name. The greater numbers are in Fife, Midlothian and Lanarkshire counties. Within the United States the Gay surname originated in New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Connecticut, Vermont, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama and Kentucky. Famous: Cesc Gay (movie film director), Maria Gay (opera singer), Randall Gay (professional football player), Noel Gay (music composer from England), Ruby Gay (professional basketball player), William Gay (professional football player), Peter Gay (historian and writer), Jose Aurelio Gay (footballer from Spain), Brian Gay (professional golfer) and Bram Gay (musician).