buday

Buday is a surname of Hungarian origin. It is commonly treated as a variant of Budai, a toponymic surname meaning "from Buda," the western part of old Budapest. The resemblance in form suggests a shared root tied to place of origin rather than a personal name.

The form Buday may reflect orthographic or phonetic changes introduced through regional dialects, transliteration, or record-keeping practices. As such, Buday appears in genealogical sources linked to Hungarian-speaking populations and communities in neighboring regions, as well as among the Hungarian diaspora.

The surname is relatively uncommon and is borne by individuals across a range of professions, including sports, the arts, and academia, rather than associated with a single occupation or lineage.

Related forms include Budai, the more common toponymic variant meaning "from Buda." Some families adopted Buday through linguistic drift or administrative spelling conventions. In genealogical records, Buday is found in Hungary and in populations with historical Hungarian presence in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as in emigrant communities abroad.

See also Budai; Buda.