MacHay, O'Hea, Hayson, Hayes, Hays, MacGaradh, MacGarra, McArra, MacGarrow, Garra, Garrad, Garrow, O'Garra, O'Garrow, Leish, Leith, Des Hay, Peebles Hayton, Gifford, Hayston, Haydock, Haytor, Hayden, Hayens, Haylees, Haynes, Hayse, Deshays, Alderston, Kellour,Laxfirth, Locherworth, Hay of Megginch, Yester, Drumelizior, Hayfield, Ay, Aye, Ayer, Haywood, Hayter, Haylor, Hayburn, Hayward, Hayne, Haynie, Haystoun, Hey, Haye, Heyes, De Hay, da Hay, de Haya, da Haya, Delahaye, Dellahay, de la Hay, Hea, O'Hay Aue, Peeples Gifford, Beagrie, Tweeddale, Delgaty, Delgatie, Erroll, Kinnoull, Slains, Turriff, Dupplin, de Plessis, Arroll, Conn, Con, Hayhoe, Hayson, Hayhow, Hawson, D'Aye, D/Ay Peoples, Hey – (Holland, Europe), Hej – (from Hey)

Clan branches

Hay of Erroll (Lord Hay; Lord Slains; Earl of Erroll; Lord High Constable of Scotland)
Hay of Leys
Hay of Pitfour
Hay of Kinfauns (Baron Hay of Kinfauns, Viscount Duplin, [Earl of Kinnoull]])
Hay of Cromlix (Lord Cromlix; Viscount of Innerpaphrie; Earl of Inverness; Duke of Inverness in the Jacobite Peerage)
Hay of Seggieden
Hay of Tweeddale (Baron Tweeddale;
Lord Hay of Yester; Viscount of Walden; Earl of Gifford; Earl of Tweeddale; Marquess of Tweeddale)
Hay of Linplum (Baronet of Linplum)
Hay of Alderston (Baronet of Alderston)
Hay of Restalrig (Baronet of Restalrig in the Jacobite Peerage)
Hay of Seton House and of Mapes Hill House
Hay of Belton
Hay of Newhall, Gifford
Hay of Spott and Lawfield
Hay of Drumelzier
Hay of Duns Castle
Hay of Nunraw
Hay of Haystoun (Baronet of Smithfield and Haystoun)
Hay of Lochloy
Hay of Delgatie
Hay of Park (Baronet of Park)
Hay of Cardeny
Hay of Hayfield, Lerwick
Dalrymple-Hay of Park Place (Dalrymple-Hay baronets)

Clan Hay is a Scottish clan that has played an important part in the history and politics of Scotland. Members of the clan are to be found in most parts of Scotland and in many other parts of the world. However, the North East of Scotland, i.e. Aberdeenshire (historic), Banffshire, Morayshire and Nairnshire Nairn (boundaries), is the heart of Hay country with other significant concentrations of Hays being found in Perthshire, especially around Perth, in the Scottish Borders, and in Shetland.

The family name is derived from that of several villages called La Haye in the Cotentin Peninsula of Normandy, France. The word, haye comes from haia, a hedge, which in modern French is haie. It can also mean "", but it may have been used here because this part of Normandy is characterized by centuries-old interlocking hedgerows (bocage). The French, de la Haye, appears in Latin documents as de Haya. The name has evolved into English as Hay and rendered into Gaelic as Garadh. According to George Fraser Black, the Gaelic form of Hay, MacGaradh, was merely an invention of John Hay Allan, also known as John Sobieski Stuart, author of the dubious Vestiarium Scoticum.

There are two ways to approach the origins of Clan Hay. The first is the Legend of Luncarty, which is an important Hay tradition, while the second is based on historical research, albeit that inconsistencies tend to occur after so many centuries. Hector Boece, the Scottish academic, wrote the first known account of the Luncarty legend in his Scotorium Historia, which was initially published in 1525, with a second edition being published posthumously in 1575. There are numerous versions of the legend that are based upon Boece’s work but which include various embellishments. In contrast, George Buchanan’s account in his Rerum Scoticarum Historia, published in 1582 and derived from Boece’s work, omits any reference to the hawk’s flight delineating the land grant. In 2010, Sutton published a hypertext edition, in both Latin and English, of Boece’s 1575 edition of the Historia, thus providing ready access to his original account of the legend. The version of the legend quoted below is from John Burke's "Peerage", 1832 edition.

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