# Ismay (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/ismay/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname transferred from the given name.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | fewer than 100 |
| US rank (2010) | not ranked |
| How often | not recorded |
| Change since 2000 | not recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɪzmeɪ/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

Matronymic surname from a somewhat rare female given name found in the 13ᵗʰ century.

## Where

Wikidata records people named Ismay in the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

## People named Ismay

- Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay, British army officer and diplomat, 1st Secretary General of NATO (1887-1965)
- Thomas Henry Ismay, British businessman (1837-1899)

## Similar surnames

Isom, Ison, Isham, Iacono.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.