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#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201937peak #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 1937

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedAKMaine: #162 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 872 girlsMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedWAIdaho: #175 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 766 girlsIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #188 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,449 girlsMNIllinois: #295 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 3,055 girlsILWisconsin: #174 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 1,284 girlsWIMichigan: #203 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 1,661 girlsMINew York: #254 for girls · 36 births · 1 in 2,321 girlsNYMassachusetts: #183 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,706 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: #269 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 2,667 girlsINOhio: #272 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 2,855 girlsOHPennsylvania: #167 for girls · 65 births · 1 in 1,101 girlsPANew Jersey: #219 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 1,844 girlsNJConnecticut: #144 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 942 girlsCTCalifornia: #398 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 3,690 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedNEMissouri: #316 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 2,882 girlsMOKentucky: #198 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 1,046 girlsKYWest Virginia: #291 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,381 girlsWVVirginia: #253 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 1,923 girlsVAMaryland: #243 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,981 girlsMDDelaware: 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: #243 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,264 girlsARTennessee: #240 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,657 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #261 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,826 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #347 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 2,783 girlsOKLouisiana: #237 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,126 girlsLAMississippi: #334 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 2,459 girlsMSAlabama: #236 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,313 girlsALGeorgia: #249 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 1,444 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedHITexas: #263 for girls · 42 births · 1 in 1,330 girlsTXFlorida: #204 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 999 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Connecticut#144 · 1 in 942
  2. Maine#162 · 1 in 872
  3. Pennsylvania#167 · 1 in 1,101
  4. Wisconsin#174 · 1 in 1,284
  5. Idaho#175 · 1 in 766

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Connecticut#144101 in 942
Maine#16271 in 872
Pennsylvania#167651 in 1,101
Wisconsin#174181 in 1,284
Idaho#17551 in 766
Massachusetts#183161 in 1,706
Minnesota#188141 in 1,449
Kentucky#198251 in 1,046
Michigan#203241 in 1,661
Florida#204131 in 999
New Jersey#219131 in 1,844
Alabama#236221 in 1,313
Louisiana#237191 in 1,126
Tennessee#240161 in 1,657
Arkansas#243141 in 1,264
Maryland#24361 in 1,981
Georgia#249211 in 1,444
Virginia#253121 in 1,923
New York#254361 in 2,321
North Carolina#261201 in 1,826
Texas#263421 in 1,330
Indiana#26991 in 2,667
Ohio#272171 in 2,855
West Virginia#29181 in 2,381
Illinois#295171 in 3,055
Missouri#31691 in 2,882
Mississippi#33491 in 2,459
Oklahoma#34771 in 2,783
California#398111 in 3,690
Alaska———
Arizona———
Colorado———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
Washington———
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 1937

girls
#267
550 births · 1 in 1,935 girls
boys
#906
47 births · 1 in 22,695 boys

Top girls' names in 1937

  1. #1Mary55,641
  2. #2Barbara34,917
  3. #3Patricia26,838
  4. #4Shirley26,823
  5. #5Betty25,337
  6. #6Carol17,336
  7. #7Nancy17,074
  8. #8Dorothy16,572
  9. #9Joan15,301
  10. #10Margaret15,144
  11. #267Fay550

Top boys' names in 1937

  1. #1Robert61,842
  2. #2James56,561
  3. #3John48,755
  4. #4William40,725
  5. #5Richard32,975
  6. #6Charles30,520
  7. #7Donald27,868
  8. #8David20,981
  9. #9Thomas19,772
  10. #10George18,439
  11. #906Fay47
More about 1937

girls

1,064,033 girls got a published name in 1937; 1 in 1,935 of them was named Fay, which outranked 94.6% of the 4,930 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.6% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Fay
  1. #264Arline559
  2. #265Jimmie553
  3. #265Sondra553
  4. #267Fay550
  5. #267Blanche550
  6. #269Lou539
  7. #270Veronica534
  8. #271Sadie531

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

Biggest movers since 1936
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,217Noreta#4,181 → #964
  2. ↑ 2,845Noretta#3,701 → #856
  3. ↑ 2,351Leilani#3,103 → #752
  4. ↑ 1,407Deann#2,263 → #856
  5. ↑ 1,209Norita#1,741 → #532
Fallers
  1. ↓ 438Dorla#951 → #1,389
  2. ↓ 331Vilma#951 → #1,282
  3. ↓ 303Imelda#979 → #1,282
  4. ↓ 297Lulu#695 → #992
  5. ↓ 292Lyda#840 → #1,132

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

boys

1,066,659 boys got a published name in 1937; 1 in 22,695 of them was named Fay, which outranked 77.5% of the 4,020 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.6% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Fay
  1. #896Loyal48
  2. #896Orrin48
  3. #896Raymundo48
  4. #906Fay47
  5. #906Allyn47
  6. #906Blair47
  7. #906Clare47
  8. #922Adan46
  9. #922Carlyle46
  10. #922Douglass46

Tied with 15 names at #906; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1936
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,923Tyrone#2,629 → #706
  2. ↑ 558Lamont#1,540 → #982
  3. ↑ 540Lary#1,540 → #1,000
  4. ↑ 416Errol#906 → #490
  5. ↑ 399Levon#1,356 → #957
Fallers
  1. ↓ 492Gaston#989 → #1,481
  2. ↓ 461Gorden#827 → #1,288
  3. ↓ 432Sergio#940 → #1,372
  4. ↓ 371Landon#422 → #793
  5. ↓ 347Harlen#747 → #1,094

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

See the top 100 for 1937 →