Gay
Last seen for girls in 1982 at #9,237 · Last seen for boys in 1974 at #4,634
Given to girls 92.9% of the time
- Peak · girls
- 1943 · 487 births
- Debut · girls
- 5 births
- In top 100 · girls
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 17,985since 1886
Gay over time
Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | — | ||
| 2024 | — | — | ||
| 2023 | — | — | ||
| 2022 | — | — | ||
| 2021 | — | — | ||
| 2020 | — | — | ||
| 2019 | — | — | ||
| 2018 | — | — | ||
| 2017 | — | — | ||
| 2016 | — | — | ||
| 2015 | — | — | ||
| 2014 | — | — | ||
| 2013 | — | — | ||
| 2012 | — | — | ||
| 2011 | — | — | ||
| 2010 | — | — | ||
| 2009 | — | — | ||
| 2008 | — | — | ||
| 2007 | — | — | ||
| 2006 | — | — | ||
| 2005 | — | — | ||
| 2004 | — | — | ||
| 2003 | — | — | ||
| 2002 | — | — | ||
| 2001 | — | — | ||
| 2000 | — | — | ||
| 1999 | — | — | ||
| 1998 | — | — | ||
| 1997 | — | — | ||
| 1996 | — | — | ||
| 1995 | — | — | ||
| 1994 | — | — | ||
| 1993 | — | — | ||
| 1992 | — | — | ||
| 1991 | — | — | ||
| 1990 | — | — | ||
| 1989 | — | — | ||
| 1988 | — | — | ||
| 1987 | — | — | ||
| 1986 | — | — | ||
| 1985 | — | — | ||
| 1984 | — | — | ||
| 1983 | — | — | ||
| 1982 | #9,237 | 6 | — | |
| 1981 | — | — | ||
| 1980 | — | — | ||
| 1979 | #6,189 | 10 | — | |
| 1978 | #6,948 | 8 | — | |
| 1977 | #4,942 | 13 | — | |
| 1976 | #3,963 | 16 | — | |
| 1975 | #2,565 | 30 | — | |
| 1974 | #2,497 | 30 | #4,634 | 6 |
| 1973 | #3,015 | 22 | — | |
| 1972 | #1,565 | 59 | #4,441 | 6 |
| 1971 | #1,364 | 78 | #4,907 | 5 |
| 1970 | #1,017 | 122 | #3,836 | 7 |
| 1969 | #943 | 127 | #3,935 | 6 |
| 1968 | #767 | 169 | #3,673 | 6 |
| 1967 | #735 | 178 | #3,966 | 5 |
| 1966 | #620 | 235 | #2,784 | 9 |
| 1965 | #548 | 302 | #3,244 | 7 |
| 1964 | #526 | 350 | #3,282 | 7 |
| 1963 | #497 | 381 | #3,044 | 8 |
| 1962 | #462 | 445 | #3,640 | 6 |
| 1961 | #395 | 596 | #3,097 | 8 |
| 1960 | #381 | 626 | #2,535 | 11 |
| 1959 | #362 | 682 | #2,663 | 10 |
| 1958 | #425 | 488 | #2,177 | 14 |
| 1957 | #374 | 584 | #2,274 | 13 |
| 1956 | #389 | 528 | #1,532 | 26 |
| 1955 | #395 | 496 | #2,139 | 14 |
| 1954 | #338 | 632 | #1,525 | 25 |
| 1953 | #349 | 579 | #1,480 | 26 |
| 1952 | #318 | 643 | #1,749 | 19 |
| 1951 | #342 | 541 | #1,242 | 35 |
| 1950 | #359 | 481 | #1,499 | 24 |
| 1949 | #356 | 488 | #1,544 | 23 |
| 1948 | #358 | 472 | #1,145 | 39 |
| 1947 | #340 | 542 | #1,482 | 25 |
| 1946 | #335 | 485 | #1,642 | 19 |
| 1945 | #345 | 395 | #1,180 | 31 |
| 1944 | #344 | 397 | #1,311 | 26 |
| 1943 | #315 | 487 | #1,431 | 24 |
| 1942 | #354 | 388 | #1,316 | 28 |
| 1941 | #343 | 367 | #987 | 42 |
| 1940 | #378 | 308 | #1,573 | 19 |
| 1939 | #346 | 338 | #1,085 | 35 |
| 1938 | #362 | 323 | #1,199 | 30 |
| 1937 | #345 | 340 | #1,288 | 27 |
| 1936 | #353 | 319 | #1,182 | 31 |
| 1935 | #394 | 266 | #1,165 | 32 |
| 1934 | #427 | 236 | #1,266 | 28 |
| 1933 | #429 | 227 | #1,310 | 26 |
| 1932 | #448 | 217 | #1,254 | 29 |
| 1931 | #501 | 166 | #1,333 | 27 |
| 1930 | #545 | 155 | #1,190 | 35 |
| 1929 | #653 | 114 | #1,296 | 30 |
| 1928 | #742 | 91 | #1,323 | 30 |
| 1927 | #800 | 82 | #1,407 | 28 |
| 1926 | #814 | 80 | #1,565 | 23 |
| 1925 | #819 | 82 | #1,332 | 30 |
| 1924 | #992 | 59 | #1,380 | 29 |
| 1923 | #885 | 69 | #1,941 | 17 |
| 1922 | #1,008 | 55 | #1,827 | 19 |
| 1921 | #1,003 | 56 | #1,509 | 25 |
| 1920 | #968 | 57 | #1,416 | 27 |
| 1919 | #850 | 67 | #1,882 | 17 |
| 1918 | #894 | 64 | #2,073 | 15 |
| 1917 | #800 | 74 | #1,322 | 27 |
| 1916 | #820 | 68 | #1,374 | 25 |
| 1915 | #850 | 59 | #1,454 | 22 |
| 1914 | #901 | 42 | #1,608 | 15 |
| 1913 | #913 | 34 | #1,365 | 15 |
| 1912 | #1,003 | 26 | #1,353 | 13 |
| 1911 | #898 | 23 | #1,537 | 6 |
| 1910 | #845 | 26 | #1,118 | 9 |
| 1909 | #791 | 26 | — | |
| 1908 | #882 | 20 | — | |
| 1907 | #749 | 25 | #1,345 | 5 |
| 1906 | #965 | 15 | #1,253 | 5 |
| 1905 | #968 | 15 | — | |
| 1904 | #910 | 16 | — | |
| 1903 | #813 | 18 | #1,009 | 6 |
| 1902 | #849 | 17 | — | |
| 1901 | #918 | 13 | — | |
| 1900 | #885 | 18 | — | |
| 1899 | #606 | 26 | #857 | 7 |
| 1898 | #886 | 15 | — | |
| 1897 | #895 | 13 | #1,057 | 5 |
| 1896 | #813 | 16 | #900 | 7 |
| 1895 | #1,053 | 10 | — | |
| 1894 | #719 | 17 | #857 | 7 |
| 1893 | #713 | 17 | — | |
| 1892 | #685 | 18 | #956 | 6 |
| 1891 | #796 | 12 | #841 | 6 |
| 1890 | #667 | 16 | #739 | 8 |
| 1889 | #757 | 12 | — | |
| 1888 | #690 | 14 | #755 | 8 |
| 1887 | #733 | 10 | — | |
| 1886 | #1,108 | 5 | #845 | 6 |
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | #892 | 5 | |
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
The first year at least five girls were named Gay! It came in at #1,108, and was given to 5 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 1980–1981, when fewer than 5 girls a year got the name.
Where Gay is popular in 1949
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Utah#173 · 1 in 823
- Idaho#180 · 1 in 1,022
- Washington#207 · 1 in 1,396
- Colorado#232 · 1 in 1,584
- Nebraska#235 · 1 in 1,921
Best ever in a state: #99 in Utah, 1937.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | #173 | 10 | 1 in 823 |
| Idaho | #180 | 6 | 1 in 1,022 |
| Washington | #207 | 18 | 1 in 1,396 |
| Colorado | #232 | 9 | 1 in 1,584 |
| Nebraska | #235 | 7 | 1 in 1,921 |
| Michigan | #253 | 29 | 1 in 2,437 |
| Kansas | #289 | 7 | 1 in 2,568 |
| California | #293 | 52 | 1 in 2,177 |
| Texas | #293 | 50 | 1 in 1,895 |
| Louisiana | #299 | 17 | 1 in 1,974 |
| Oklahoma | #306 | 9 | 1 in 2,389 |
| Ohio | #315 | 25 | 1 in 3,469 |
| Illinois | #319 | 25 | 1 in 3,432 |
| Maryland | #322 | 7 | 1 in 3,208 |
| Missouri | #325 | 11 | 1 in 3,522 |
| Tennessee | #328 | 12 | 1 in 3,141 |
| Pennsylvania | #352 | 22 | 1 in 4,668 |
| Kentucky | #358 | 9 | 1 in 3,785 |
| Massachusetts | #365 | 7 | 1 in 6,388 |
| Wisconsin | #366 | 7 | 1 in 5,273 |
| Indiana | #383 | 9 | 1 in 4,666 |
| North Carolina | #388 | 12 | 1 in 4,087 |
| Virginia | #392 | 8 | 1 in 4,467 |
| Florida | #399 | 7 | 1 in 3,848 |
| New Jersey | #408 | 7 | 1 in 6,064 |
| New York | #416 | 28 | 1 in 5,068 |
| Georgia | #419 | 9 | 1 in 4,733 |
| Mississippi | #426 | 7 | 1 in 4,167 |
| Alabama | #437 | 8 | 1 in 4,676 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| 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 Gay
- Not published in 2025; last seen 1982
- Biggest jump: 375 spots in 1887 (#1,108 → #733)
- Biggest drop: 334 spots in 1895 (#719 → #1,053)
- Debuted 1886
- Peaked 1943 at #315 (487 births)
- Births halved by 1966, 23 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 79 yrs · run 1923–1969
- Highest: 1 in 2,865 girls born in 1943 were named Gay (0.03%)
- Latest: 1 in 282,221 girls born in 1982 (0.00%)
- 31.4% of all girls named Gay (5,654) were born in this decade
- Mostly boys until 1886, mostly girls since
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 41 | #690 (1888) | #822 |
| 1890s | 160 | #606 (1899) | #783 |
| 1900s | 183 | #749 (1907) | #873 |
| 1910s | 483 | #800 (1917) | #877 |
| 1920s | 745 | #653 (1929) | #868 |
| 1930s | 2,587 | #345 (1937) | #415 |
| 1940s | 4,329 | #315 (1943) | #347 |
| 1950s | 5,654 | #318 (1952) | #365 |
| 1960s | 3,409 | #381 (1960) | #587 |
| 1970s | 388 | #1,017 (1970) | #3,407 |
| 1980s | 6 | #9,237 (1982) | #9,237 |
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.
Gay in 1949
Top girls' names in 1949
Top boys' names in 1949
More about 1949
girls
1,710,877 girls got a published name in 1949; 1 in 3,506 of them was named Gay, which outranked 94.1% of the 6,066 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.7% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
boys
1,773,939 boys got a published name in 1949; 1 in 77,128 of them was named Gay, which outranked 63.3% of the 4,205 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
- #1,501Valentino24
- #1,501Vaughan24
- #1,501Wilburt24
- #1,544Gay23
- #1,544Acie23
- #1,544Alvan23
- #1,544Auther23
- #1,583Aldo22
- #1,583Arlon22
- #1,583Arnett22
Tied with 38 names at #1,544; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.