Fay

#3,780 for girls in 2025, 39 births · Last seen for boys in 1976 at #4,012
Given to girls 88.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1907 · 257 births
Debut · girls
13 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
32,059
since 1880

Fay over time

girlsboys

Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201930peak #202, 1907peak #292, 1893girlsboys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#3,78039—
2024#3,39546—
2023#4,19134—
2022#3,89338—
2021#3,55343—
2020#4,16933—
2019#3,85138—
2018#3,78939—
2017#5,04526—
2016#3,46445—
2015#5,28825—
2014#4,26934—
2013#5,14326—
2012#4,70730—
2011#5,20726—
2010#5,97722—
2009#5,37826—
2008#6,55920—
2007#5,37726—
2006#5,08627—
2005#7,13816—
2004#5,06225—
2003#4,94325—
2002#5,08623—
2001#6,32217—
2000#4,79124—
1999#7,23913—
1998#5,36319—
1997#5,62617—
1996#7,57411—
1995#5,95815—
1994#5,44517—
1993#5,67316—
1992#5,71816—
1991#4,80820—
1990#3,90926—
1989#3,47729—
1988#3,58526—
1987#3,33127—
1986#3,45925—
1985#2,86032—
1984#2,78132—
1983#2,55235—
1982#2,58136—
1981#2,77432—
1980#2,30842—
1979#2,79531—
1978#2,05046—
1977#1,90152—
1976#1,72955#4,0128
1975#1,83850—
1974#1,82048—
1973#1,66654—
1972#1,72451#4,9865
1971#1,47369#4,3756
1970#1,47468#4,7245
1969#1,23482#2,86110
1968#991111#3,6736
1967#970111#2,7609
1966#843140—
1965#792155#3,9305
1964#767184#2,8549
1963#703210#2,8589
1962#682227#2,50411
1961#653246#2,07016
1960#600274#2,42312
1959#615260#2,41412
1958#563302#2,26513
1957#596265#2,01916
1956#517328#2,01516
1955#561263#1,68221
1954#495321#2,11414
1953#500302#1,83618
1952#471320#1,66521
1951#422393#1,68320
1950#413376#1,65720
1949#398401#1,25233
1948#421354#1,65620
1947#389420#1,27133
1946#374410#1,19634
1945#384335#1,16332
1944#349390#1,03840
1943#324471#1,10638
1942#309489#93350
1941#318430#97143
1940#280497#81059
1939#277502#97642
1938#282496#85253
1937#267550#90647
1936#263530#78061
1935#263543#72571
1934#247633#66683
1933#246608#65779
1932#241655#73971
1931#238632#65982
1930#251614#68583
1929#244654#68980
1928#258628#66988
1927#254665#64397
1926#243722#597111
1925#269607#569119
1924#277563#600113
1923#264595#564122
1922#273568#557129
1921#269612#553128
1920#250690#526134
1919#250660#491148
1918#248662#541123
1917#238690#481142
1916#234676#455153
1915#224701#462141
1914#223566#481102
1913#233427#47583
1912#213436#53256
1911#208339#58427
1910#205316#58224
1909#228246#48728
1908#204267#56620
1907#202257#66415
1906#211215#61315
1905#211215#40428
1904#224186#49219
1903#219190#31236
1902#222181#34832
1901#235151#35926
1900#248170#41330
1899#235139#38423
1898#223171#39425
1897#235141#58413
1896#281107#42421
1895#257121#39923
1894#242124#29834
1893#28089#29235
1892#26997#42220
1891#25392#37721
1890#25099#35125
1889#25684#41519
1888#29663#52814
1887#31047#40917
1886#35237#33625
1885#29048#42218
1884#31539#39920
1883#33628#46015
1882#30034#46915
1881#39318#44215
1880#46613#46515
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Fay was already there! It came in at #466, and was given to 13 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1995–1996, when fewer than 16 girls a year got the name.

Where Fay is popular in 1930

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedNHWashington: #257 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,891 girlsWAIdaho: #164 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 690 girlsIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: #159 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 844 girlsNDMinnesota: #307 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,263 girlsMNIllinois: #349 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 4,086 girlsILWisconsin: #286 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 3,017 girlsWIMichigan: #209 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 1,682 girlsMINew York: #218 for girls · 58 births · 1 in 1,653 girlsNYMassachusetts: #180 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,585 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedINOhio: #337 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 4,007 girlsOHPennsylvania: #156 for girls · 74 births · 1 in 1,109 girlsPANew Jersey: #244 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 2,451 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #256 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 1,774 girlsCAUtah: #184 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 797 girlsUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedCONebraska: #274 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,182 girlsNEMissouri: #222 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,470 girlsMOKentucky: #238 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,437 girlsKYWest Virginia: #220 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,312 girlsWVVirginia: #278 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,404 girlsVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedKSArkansas: #167 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 729 girlsARTennessee: #249 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,679 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #236 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,612 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #230 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,417 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #240 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,398 girlsOKLouisiana: #217 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,059 girlsLAMississippi: #233 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 1,227 girlsMSAlabama: #204 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 1,109 girlsALGeorgia: #226 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 1,444 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedHITexas: #259 for girls · 47 births · 1 in 1,267 girlsTXFlorida: #327 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,418 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Pennsylvania#156 · 1 in 1,109
  2. North Dakota#159 · 1 in 844
  3. Idaho#164 · 1 in 690
  4. Arkansas#167 · 1 in 729
  5. Massachusetts#180 · 1 in 1,585

Best ever in a state: #59 in Utah, 1911.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Pennsylvania#156741 in 1,109
North Dakota#15971 in 844
Idaho#16451 in 690
Arkansas#167261 in 729
Massachusetts#180201 in 1,585
Utah#18461 in 797
Alabama#204271 in 1,109
Michigan#209251 in 1,682
Louisiana#217201 in 1,059
New York#218581 in 1,653
West Virginia#220141 in 1,312
Missouri#222191 in 1,470
Georgia#226211 in 1,444
South Carolina#230141 in 1,417
Mississippi#233181 in 1,227
North Carolina#236221 in 1,612
Kentucky#238191 in 1,437
Oklahoma#240171 in 1,398
New Jersey#244121 in 2,451
Tennessee#249161 in 1,679
California#256211 in 1,774
Washington#25751 in 1,891
Texas#259471 in 1,267
Nebraska#27451 in 2,182
Virginia#278101 in 2,404
Wisconsin#28681 in 3,017
Minnesota#30761 in 3,263
Florida#32751 in 2,418
Ohio#337131 in 4,007
Illinois#349141 in 4,086
Alaska———
Arizona———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Indiana———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Maine———
Maryland———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Vermont———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Fay
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 385 spots since 2024 (#3,395 → #3,780)
  • 389 spots since 2020 (#4,169 → #3,780)
  • 1,508 spots since 2015 (#5,288 → #3,780)
  • Biggest jump: 93 spots in 1882 (#393 → #300)
  • Biggest drop: 243 spots in 1969 (#991 → #1,234)
Rise & fade · girls
27 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1907 at #202 (257 births)
  • Births halved by 1967, 60 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 89 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 89 yrs · run 1880–1968
Share of babies · girls
1 in 1,234
  • Highest: 1 in 1,234 girls born in 1911 were named Fay (0.08%)
  • Latest: 1 in 41,212 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
  • Its best rank, #202 in 1907, was only 1 in 1,240 (0.08%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1920s
  • 19.7% of all girls named Fay (6,304) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Flipped in 1881
  • Mostly boys until 1880, mostly girls since
all girlsall boys
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s411#256 (1889)#331
1890s1,180#223 (1898)#253
1900s2,078#202 (1907)#220
1910s5,473#205 (1910)#228
1920s6,304#243 (1926)#260
1930s5,763#238 (1931)#258
1940s4,197#280 (1940)#355
1950s3,130#413 (1950)#515
1960s1,740#600 (1960)#824
1970s524#1,473 (1971)#1,847
1980s316#2,308 (1980)#2,971
1990s170#3,909 (1990)#5,731
2000s229#4,791 (2000)#5,574
2010s311#3,464 (2016)#4,674
2020s233#3,395 (2024)#3,830

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Fay in 1930

girls
#251
614 births · 1 in 1,834 girls
boys
#685
83 births · 1 in 13,221 boys

Top girls' names in 1930

  1. #1Mary64,153
  2. #2Betty38,240
  3. #3Dorothy30,411
  4. #4Helen19,913
  5. #5Margaret18,350
  6. #6Barbara18,279
  7. #7Patricia15,751
  8. #8Joan15,478
  9. #9Doris15,464
  10. #10Ruth14,942
  11. #251Fay614

Top boys' names in 1930

  1. #1Robert62,153
  2. #2James53,957
  3. #3John52,447
  4. #4William47,271
  5. #5Richard32,187
  6. #6Charles31,867
  7. #7Donald29,052
  8. #8George22,788
  9. #9Joseph20,981
  10. #10Edward17,352
  11. #685Fay83
More about 1930

girls

1,125,927 girls got a published name in 1930; 1 in 1,834 of them was named Fay, which outranked 95.2% of the 5,247 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Fay
  1. #248Natalie624
  2. #249Ina623
  3. #250Essie617
  4. #251Fay614
  5. #251Paula614
  6. #253Freda610
  7. #254Iva605
  8. #255Luella597

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1929
Risers
  1. ↑ 701Claudette#1,642 → #941
  2. ↑ 583Ardeth#1,212 → #629
  3. ↑ 445Julianne#1,339 → #894
  4. ↑ 376Sonja#1,223 → #847
  5. ↑ 374Armida#1,174 → #800
Fallers
  1. ↓ 348Ingrid#941 → #1,289
  2. ↓ 315Coralie#895 → #1,210
  3. ↓ 229Elenor#981 → #1,210
  4. ↓ 229Mammie#981 → #1,210
  5. ↓ 226Sibyl#902 → #1,128

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,097,378 boys got a published name in 1930; 1 in 13,221 of them was named Fay, which outranked 84.9% of the 4,542 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.7% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Fay
  1. #681Gregorio84
  2. #681Kevin84
  3. #681Rosario84
  4. #685Fay83
  5. #685Bryce83
  6. #685Helen83
  7. #685Lucian83
  8. #689Alvie82
  9. #689Eldridge82
  10. #689Sydney82

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1929
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,094Derl#3,959 → #865
  2. ↑ 420Clive#1,378 → #958
  3. ↑ 380Farris#1,272 → #892
  4. ↑ 368Earlie#1,296 → #928
  5. ↑ 357Winton#1,272 → #915
Fallers
  1. ↓ 486Americo#729 → #1,215
  2. ↓ 433Enrico#995 → #1,428
  3. ↓ 371Eliseo#844 → #1,215
  4. ↓ 312Meyer#878 → #1,190
  5. ↓ 304Hilbert#869 → #1,173

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1930 →