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#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201941peak #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 1941

  • 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: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedIDMontana: #127 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 543 girlsMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedMNIllinois: #387 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 4,702 girlsILWisconsin: #247 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 2,779 girlsWIMichigan: #286 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 3,191 girlsMINew York: #315 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 3,572 girlsNYMassachusetts: #326 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 5,279 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: #413 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 5,756 girlsINOhio: #290 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 3,176 girlsOHPennsylvania: #198 for girls · 50 births · 1 in 1,571 girlsPANew Jersey: #346 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 4,862 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #556 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 6,968 girlsCAUtah: #198 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,013 girlsUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedNEMissouri: #324 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 3,312 girlsMOKentucky: #248 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,788 girlsKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedWVVirginia: #194 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 1,086 girlsVAMaryland: #220 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 1,637 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: #288 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,965 girlsARTennessee: #274 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 2,099 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #381 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 4,335 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #332 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,814 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #293 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,026 girlsOKLouisiana: #207 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 951 girlsLAMississippi: #303 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,098 girlsMSAlabama: #238 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 1,416 girlsALGeorgia: #348 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 3,254 girlsGAHawaii: #180 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 719 girlsHITexas: #393 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 2,898 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Montana#127 · 1 in 543
  2. Hawaii#180 · 1 in 719
  3. Virginia#194 · 1 in 1,086
  4. Utah#198 · 1 in 1,013
  5. Pennsylvania#198 · 1 in 1,571

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Montana#12781 in 543
Hawaii#18051 in 719
Virginia#194241 in 1,086
Pennsylvania#198501 in 1,571
Utah#19851 in 1,013
Louisiana#207261 in 951
Maryland#22091 in 1,637
Alabama#238211 in 1,416
Wisconsin#24791 in 2,779
Kentucky#248161 in 1,788
Tennessee#274141 in 2,099
Michigan#286151 in 3,191
Arkansas#288101 in 1,965
Ohio#290181 in 3,176
Oklahoma#293101 in 2,026
Mississippi#303111 in 2,098
New York#315271 in 3,572
Missouri#32491 in 3,312
Massachusetts#32661 in 5,279
South Carolina#33281 in 2,814
New Jersey#34661 in 4,862
Georgia#348101 in 3,254
North Carolina#38191 in 4,335
Illinois#387131 in 4,702
Texas#393221 in 2,898
Indiana#41351 in 5,756
California#55681 in 6,968
Alaska———
Arizona———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Idaho———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Maine———
Minnesota———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Vermont———
Washington———
West Virginia———
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 1941

girls
#318
430 births · 1 in 2,810 girls
boys
#971
43 births · 1 in 28,566 boys

Top girls' names in 1941

  1. #1Mary58,048
  2. #2Barbara39,543
  3. #3Patricia36,905
  4. #4Carol24,187
  5. #5Linda23,721
  6. #6Judith23,320
  7. #7Betty20,905
  8. #8Nancy20,885
  9. #9Sandra19,500
  10. #10Shirley16,954
  11. #318Fay430

Top boys' names in 1941

  1. #1James66,751
  2. #2Robert64,247
  3. #3John57,520
  4. #4William47,798
  5. #5Richard39,112
  6. #6Charles32,742
  7. #7David30,553
  8. #8Thomas26,641
  9. #9Ronald24,407
  10. #10Donald22,641
  11. #971Fay43
More about 1941

girls

1,208,119 girls got a published name in 1941; 1 in 2,810 of them was named Fay, which outranked 93.7% of the 5,085 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.5% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Fay
  1. #315Opal434
  2. #316Nettie433
  3. #316Ollie433
  4. #318Fay430
  5. #319Becky428
  6. #320Amy424
  7. #321Joanna417
Biggest movers since 1940
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,130Jerilyn#2,737 → #607
  2. ↑ 1,258Trina#2,109 → #851
  3. ↑ 372Karan#1,347 → #975
  4. ↑ 371Kristine#1,313 → #942
  5. ↑ 356Sherri#1,186 → #830
Fallers
  1. ↓ 447Kenneth#971 → #1,418
  2. ↓ 421Janna#997 → #1,418
  3. ↓ 366Beatriz#989 → #1,355
  4. ↓ 338Merna#997 → #1,335
  5. ↓ 337Eldora#957 → #1,294

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

boys

1,228,318 boys got a published name in 1941; 1 in 28,566 of them was named Fay, which outranked 75.7% of the 4,002 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. #960Leamon44
  2. #960Martha44
  3. #960Obie44
  4. #971Fay43
  5. #971Bertrand43
  6. #971Brendan43
  7. #971Clare43
  8. #987Barrie42
  9. #987Bernice42
  10. #987Clovis42

Tied with 15 names at #971; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1940
Risers
  1. ↑ 586Gay#1,573 → #987
  2. ↑ 375Issac#1,251 → #876
  3. ↑ 363Otho#1,334 → #971
  4. ↑ 338Lawrance#1,208 → #870
  5. ↑ 313Ford#1,251 → #938
Fallers
  1. ↓ 508Wilkie#792 → #1,300
  2. ↓ 452Arlis#994 → #1,446
  3. ↓ 394Ruby#939 → #1,333
  4. ↓ 359Gonzalo#850 → #1,209
  5. ↓ 325Lenord#929 → #1,254

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

See the top 100 for 1941 →