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#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201952peak #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 1952

  • 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: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: #222 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,377 girlsNDMinnesota: #406 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 5,878 girlsMNIllinois: #596 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 10,445 girlsILWisconsin: #253 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 2,672 girlsWIMichigan: #348 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 3,848 girlsMINew York: #446 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 5,516 girlsNYMassachusetts: #317 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 4,832 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: #344 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 4,062 girlsIAIndiana: #453 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 6,655 girlsINOhio: #444 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 6,785 girlsOHPennsylvania: #310 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 3,173 girlsPANew Jersey: #409 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 6,077 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #682 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 10,104 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: #534 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 8,266 girlsMOKentucky: #490 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 6,737 girlsKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedWVVirginia: #398 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 4,296 girlsVAMaryland: #338 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,722 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: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedARTennessee: #415 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 4,629 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #463 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 5,674 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Fay, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #422 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 3,948 girlsLAMississippi: #373 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 3,132 girlsMSAlabama: #449 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 5,261 girlsALGeorgia: #411 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 4,405 girlsGAHawaii: #170 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 652 girlsHITexas: #671 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 8,195 girlsTXFlorida: #428 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 4,089 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Hawaii#170 · 1 in 652
  2. North Dakota#222 · 1 in 1,377
  3. Wisconsin#253 · 1 in 2,672
  4. Pennsylvania#310 · 1 in 3,173
  5. Massachusetts#317 · 1 in 4,832

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Hawaii#17091 in 652
North Dakota#22251 in 1,377
Wisconsin#253151 in 2,672
Pennsylvania#310351 in 3,173
Massachusetts#317101 in 4,832
Maryland#33871 in 3,722
Iowa#34471 in 4,062
Michigan#348211 in 3,848
Mississippi#37391 in 3,132
Virginia#39891 in 4,296
Minnesota#40661 in 5,878
New Jersey#40981 in 6,077
Georgia#411101 in 4,405
Tennessee#41581 in 4,629
Louisiana#42291 in 3,948
Florida#42881 in 4,089
Ohio#444141 in 6,785
New York#446281 in 5,516
Alabama#44971 in 5,261
Indiana#45371 in 6,655
North Carolina#46391 in 5,674
Kentucky#49051 in 6,737
Missouri#53451 in 8,266
Illinois#59691 in 10,445
Texas#671131 in 8,195
California#682131 in 10,104
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Idaho———
Kansas———
Maine———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
Oklahoma———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Utah———
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 1952

girls
#471
320 births · 1 in 5,795 girls
boys
#1,665
21 births · 1 in 92,554 boys

Top girls' names in 1952

  1. #1Linda67,082
  2. #2Mary65,629
  3. #3Patricia53,101
  4. #4Deborah49,811
  5. #5Susan41,348
  6. #6Barbara39,864
  7. #7Nancy31,739
  8. #8Karen28,956
  9. #9Debra26,832
  10. #10Sandra26,097
  11. #471Fay320

Top boys' names in 1952

  1. #1James87,065
  2. #2Robert86,588
  3. #3John83,140
  4. #4Michael79,037
  5. #5David71,752
  6. #6William63,039
  7. #7Richard58,350
  8. #8Thomas48,647
  9. #9Charles38,866
  10. #10Gary38,754
  11. #1,665Fay21
More about 1952

girls

1,854,335 girls got a published name in 1952; 1 in 5,795 of them was named Fay, which outranked 92.6% of the 6,389 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Fay
  1. #467Rene326
  2. #469Mable323
  3. #469Merry323
  4. #471Fay320
  5. #471Dorothea320
  6. #473Muriel319
  7. #473Shari319
  8. #475Meredith315

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

Biggest movers since 1951
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,501Pandora#3,284 → #783
  2. ↑ 368Lise#1,314 → #946
  3. ↑ 353Vanessa#656 → #303
  4. ↑ 334Dorinda#1,170 → #836
  5. ↑ 332Mitzi#928 → #596
Fallers
  1. ↓ 380Rhona#988 → #1,368
  2. ↓ 342Sharleen#765 → #1,107
  3. ↓ 270Enid#908 → #1,178
  4. ↓ 237Allyn#988 → #1,225
  5. ↓ 230Sheron#908 → #1,138

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

boys

1,943,633 boys got a published name in 1952; 1 in 92,554 of them was named Fay, which outranked 60.9% of the 4,257 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. #1,615Vivian22
  2. #1,615Watson22
  3. #1,615Werner22
  4. #1,665Fay21
  5. #1,665Algie21
  6. #1,665Arley21
  7. #1,665Arlon21
  8. #1,701Adrain20
  9. #1,701Aldon20
  10. #1,701Almon20

Tied with 35 names at #1,665; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1951
Risers
  1. ↑ 753Darren#1,598 → #845
  2. ↑ 372Robby#1,242 → #870
  3. ↑ 355Cris#1,218 → #863
  4. ↑ 301Ethan#1,295 → #994
  5. ↑ 280Adan#1,150 → #870
Fallers
  1. ↓ 477Ottis#984 → #1,461
  2. ↓ 408Wayland#915 → #1,323
  3. ↓ 330Mcarthur#806 → #1,136
  4. ↓ 305Arvin#963 → #1,268
  5. ↓ 285Levon#881 → #1,166

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

See the top 100 for 1952 →