Jay

#10,107 for girls in 2025, 9 births · #392 for boys in 2025, 809 births
Given to boys 98.7% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
#78
1960 · 5,385 births
Debut · boys
1880
103 births
In top 100 · boys
16 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
195,548
since 1880

Jay over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100rank188019001920194019601980200020201941peak #78, 1960boys
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#10,1079#392809
2024#6,93216#396822
2023#8,98911#381837
2022#7,63114#367897
2021#8,02413#377864
2020#8,40612#380808
2019#8,59712#373848
2018—#397799
2017#8,77612#382859
2016#14,3316#392818
2015#11,8358#393806
2014#6,98717#370850
2013#13,1507#389767
2012#16,8695#386772
2011—#397718
2010#14,9596#410687
2009#9,97511#408719
2008—#394763
2007#8,52014#396752
2006#13,6067#350867
2005#14,5026#348852
2004#12,7617#347822
2003#7,99813#344810
2002—#334825
2001#8,19612#313888
2000#15,0315#326869
1999#9,4799#325855
1998#10,1228#326833
1997#10,8367#292946
1996#8,8129#287942
1995#7,51411#2751,011
1994#6,31914#2621,102
1993#4,99819#2601,106
1992#10,4797#2361,220
1991#7,98710#2341,268
1990#6,13114#2171,403
1989#6,53112#2031,444
1988#5,32115#1991,369
1987#5,31214#1851,487
1986#4,53917#1791,484
1985#3,98320#1751,524
1984#4,16618#1711,554
1983#3,80620#1701,541
1982#4,16718#1641,667
1981#4,34417#1531,787
1980#3,60922#1411,984
1979#3,54122#1262,145
1978#3,19624#1192,151
1977#3,61220#1302,097
1976#3,54019#1262,105
1975#2,23237#1172,174
1974#2,61628#1102,360
1973#2,26734#1182,215
1972#2,05738#1152,443
1971#3,06222#1142,866
1970#2,12038#973,415
1969#2,35030#953,181
1968#2,16431#873,428
1967#1,84840#873,612
1966#2,58622#913,598
1965#2,06432#903,944
1964#1,97536#844,567
1963#1,81541#854,720
1962#1,44459#805,158
1961#1,69745#815,119
1960#1,69544#785,385
1959#1,55249#884,940
1958#1,57846#865,027
1957#1,50750#884,630
1956#1,37857#924,120
1955#1,48047#1033,396
1954#1,31757#1013,372
1953#1,42447#993,235
1952#1,45444#1063,028
1951#1,55537#1162,637
1950#1,65332#1152,584
1949#1,46939#1182,457
1948#1,66931#1232,272
1947#1,57636#1192,438
1946#1,36041#1152,196
1945#1,26140#1251,760
1944#1,48630#1361,554
1943#1,62527#1341,673
1942#1,91720#1331,598
1941#1,56925#1371,416
1940#1,59124#1391,291
1939#2,03816#1421,146
1938#1,50525#1381,181
1937#1,41627#1361,147
1936#1,54923#1401,102
1935#1,55023#1471,067
1934#1,34429#157933
1933#1,65821#151949
1932#1,52025#161934
1931#1,94117#166867
1930#1,74821#166891
1929#1,44728#168842
1928#1,31034#185769
1927#1,30337#171870
1926#1,19841#175827
1925#1,94620#182789
1924#2,30816#170854
1923#2,26416#172829
1922#2,38715#180780
1921#2,19517#174828
1920#2,17217#201666
1919#2,81311#197637
1918#1,88720#185706
1917#1,43127#188643
1916#1,44526#184640
1915#1,96416#200537
1914#1,74015#213379
1913#1,52815#192349
1912#2,3607#183318
1911#2,4635#229126
1910#1,7738#213120
1909—#21798
1908#1,4399#21889
1907—#21091
1906—#20387
1905#1,5387#19392
1904—#18995
1903—#19382
1902—#18889
1901—#16096
1900—#189107
1899—#20863
1898—#18485
1897—#18682
1896#1,5835#20278
1895—#17191
1894—#16096
1893—#142105
1892—#145111
1891—#13799
1890—#133108
1889—#139104
1888—#129122
1887—#124106
1886—#126107
1885—#14991
1884—#130110
1883—#12897
1882—#17080
1881—#12396
1880—#126103
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Jay was already there! It came in at #126, and was given to 103 baby boys.

Quietest stretch: 1895–1899, when fewer than 92 boys a year got the name.

Where Jay is popular in 1941

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Jay, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Jay, so not publishedMEVermont: #100 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 528 boysVTNew Hampshire: #97 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 595 boysNHWashington: #86 for boys · 32 births · 1 in 430 boysWAIdaho: #57 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 228 boysIDMontana: #101 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 476 boysMTNorth Dakota: #156 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 941 boysNDMinnesota: #120 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 796 boysMNIllinois: #129 for boys · 71 births · 1 in 900 boysILWisconsin: #193 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 2,207 boysWIMichigan: #103 for boys · 75 births · 1 in 665 boysMINew York: #88 for boys · 177 births · 1 in 567 boysNYMassachusetts: #130 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 1,587 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Jay, so not publishedRIOregon: #113 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 642 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Jay, so not publishedNVWyoming: #67 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 275 boysWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Jay, so not publishedSDIowa: #109 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 600 boysIAIndiana: #85 for boys · 56 births · 1 in 537 boysINOhio: #115 for boys · 76 births · 1 in 782 boysOHPennsylvania: #76 for boys · 169 births · 1 in 480 boysPANew Jersey: #93 for boys · 41 births · 1 in 740 boysNJConnecticut: #94 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 721 boysCTCalifornia: #127 for boys · 75 births · 1 in 781 boysCAUtah: #30 for boys · 47 births · 1 in 124 boysUTColorado: #102 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 464 boysCONebraska: #139 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 768 boysNEMissouri: #138 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 886 boysMOKentucky: #206 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,674 boysKYWest Virginia: #225 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 1,986 boysWVVirginia: #248 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 2,339 boysVAMaryland: #128 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,012 boysMDDelaware: #52 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 215 boysDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Jay, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Jay, so not publishedNMKansas: #100 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 452 boysKSArkansas: #239 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 1,977 boysARTennessee: #197 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 1,559 boysTNNorth Carolina: #212 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 1,488 boysNCSouth Carolina: #227 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 1,810 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Jay, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #114 for boys · 38 births · 1 in 572 boysOKLouisiana: #369 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,481 boysLAMississippi: #379 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 4,424 boysMSAlabama: #340 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 3,679 boysALGeorgia: #230 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 2,026 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Jay, so not publishedHITexas: #195 for boys · 64 births · 1 in 1,039 boysTXFlorida: #135 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 791 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Utah#30 · 1 in 124
  2. Delaware#52 · 1 in 215
  3. Idaho#57 · 1 in 228
  4. Wyoming#67 · 1 in 275
  5. Pennsylvania#76 · 1 in 480

Best ever in a state: #19 in Utah, 1937.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Utah#30471 in 124
Delaware#5291 in 215
Idaho#57211 in 228
Wyoming#6771 in 275
Pennsylvania#761691 in 480
Indiana#85561 in 537
Washington#86321 in 430
New York#881771 in 567
New Jersey#93411 in 740
Connecticut#94181 in 721
New Hampshire#9761 in 595
Kansas#100301 in 452
Vermont#10051 in 528
Montana#101101 in 476
Colorado#102211 in 464
Michigan#103751 in 665
Iowa#109361 in 600
Oregon#113131 in 642
Oklahoma#114381 in 572
Ohio#115761 in 782
Minnesota#120311 in 796
California#127751 in 781
Maryland#128151 in 1,012
Illinois#129711 in 900
Massachusetts#130211 in 1,587
Florida#135211 in 791
Missouri#138351 in 886
Nebraska#139131 in 768
North Dakota#15661 in 941
Wisconsin#193121 in 2,207
Texas#195641 in 1,039
Tennessee#197191 in 1,559
Kentucky#206171 in 1,674
North Carolina#212261 in 1,488
West Virginia#225101 in 1,986
South Carolina#227121 in 1,810
Georgia#230161 in 2,026
Arkansas#239101 in 1,977
Virginia#248111 in 2,339
Alabama#34081 in 3,679
Louisiana#36971 in 3,481
Mississippi#37951 in 4,424
Alaska———
Arizona———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Maine———
Nevada———
New Mexico———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys 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 Jay
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 4 spots since 2024 (#396 → #392)
  • 12 spots since 2020 (#380 → #392)
  • 1 spot since 2015 (#393 → #392)
  • Biggest jump: 46 spots in 1912 (#229 → #183)
  • Biggest drop: 47 spots in 1882 (#123 → #170)
Rise & fade · boys
80 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1960 at #78 (5,385 births)
  • Births halved by 1972, 12 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 16 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 16 yrs · run 1956–1970
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 396
  • Highest: 1 in 396 boys born in 1960 were named Jay (0.25%)
  • Latest: 1 in 2,111 boys born in 2025 (0.05%)
Era · boys
The 1960s
  • 21.8% of all boys named Jay (42,712) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s1,016#123 (1881)#134
1890s918#133 (1890)#167
1900s926#160 (1901)#196
1910s4,455#183 (1912)#198
1920s8,054#168 (1929)#178
1930s10,217#136 (1937)#150
1940s18,655#115 (1946)#128
1950s36,969#86 (1958)#99
1960s42,712#78 (1960)#86
1970s23,971#97 (1970)#117
1980s15,841#141 (1980)#174
1990s10,686#217 (1990)#271
2000s8,167#313 (2001)#356
2010s7,924#370 (2014)#389
2020s5,037#367 (2022)#382

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

Jay in 1941

girls
#1,569
25 births · 1 in 48,325 girls
boys
#137
1,416 births · 1 in 867 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. #1,569Jay25

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. #137Jay1,416
More about 1941

girls

1,208,119 girls got a published name in 1941; 1 in 48,325 of them was named Jay, which outranked 69.1% 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 Jay
  1. #1,538Neomia26
  2. #1,538Sherill26
  3. #1,538Sherley26
  4. #1,569Jay25
  5. #1,569Alverta25
  6. #1,569Arden25
  7. #1,569Arvilla25
  8. #1,610Alvera24
  9. #1,610Ammie24
  10. #1,610Arlena24

Tied with 40 names at #1,569; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

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 867 of them was named Jay, which outranked 96.6% 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 Jay
  1. #134Jeffrey1,502
  2. #135Allan1,492
  3. #136Chester1,448
  4. #137Jay1,416
  5. #138Freddie1,412
  6. #139Glen1,410
  7. #140Milton1,385
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 →