[2] The oldest record of the surname dates to 1197 in the Eynsham Cartulary of Oxfordshire, where it appears in the form Heise.

[3][4][5] There are nineteen coats of arms assumed by or granted to individuals with this or a similar surname.

Hayes is noted on a public record in County Wexford as early as 1182.

[7][8][9] In England, Hayes arose as a locational surname, associated with one of the several places named or suffixed -Hay, -Hays, -Hayes, etc., such as those in Kent, or Middlesex.

[3] The distribution of Hayes in Great Britain in 1881 and 1998 is similar, and restricted to areas of England well separated from Scotland and showing some penetration into Wales.