Fey
An Irish surname most likely connected with the Gaelic name Ó Fiaich, later anglicized in forms such as Fee and Fey.
The #9,108 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 86,049 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Fey is generally treated as an anglicized Irish name rather than a native English one. In Irish sources it is linked with the name Ó Fiaich, a surname based on a personal name meaning "raven" or "cunning" in older Gaelic usage. In English records it can also be seen as a spelling variant of Fee/Fay, which helps explain the short, vowel-heavy form.
History
In Irish genealogical and surname work, Fey appears alongside other anglicized forms such as Fee, Fay, and Feeney, reflecting the uneven way Gaelic names were rendered into English spelling. The name is recorded in Irish surname lists and index-style compilations, but it is not especially common and often appears as a variant rather than a major standalone line. In English contexts, Fey may also be confused with or influenced by the unrelated word fay/fey, though that is not usually the surname's main source.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because early anglicization was inconsistent, the same Irish family line could be recorded under several different spellings in different documents.
From the historical record
“ONELY] (Eng.) Bel. to Onely, Northants: ONLEY I i6th cent. 0«fey, Onelie; Onneley, ONLY J Staffs: Domesday .^«efe^e = i the Single Lea [M.E. on, one, ane, an, O.E.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)