girls' name · peaked 1943

Faye

A female given name, variant of Fay.

Every Faye since 1880 — 72,660 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex — comparable across eras
0.380.751.131.518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys
Rank 2025
#515
among girls
Babies in 2025
579
named Faye
Peak year
1943
1,478 babies
All-time total
72,660
since 1880

The story of Faye

Faye is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #515 in 2025 with 579 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 72,660 American babies have been named Faye. Its peak came in 1943, when 1,478 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1940s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Faye stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

Faye year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 579 #515
2024 563 #539
2023 612 #500
2022 537 #564
2021 496 #603
2020 414 #688
2019 416 #695
2018 415 #701
2017 405 #709
2016 349 #824
2015 292 #930
2014 297 #913
2013 247 #1,010
2012 234 #1,070
2011 152 #1,475
2010 162 #1,415
2009 137 #1,633
2008 140 #1,623
2007 121 #1,774
2006 111 #1,836
2005 134 #1,536
2004 111 #1,740
2003 82 #2,132
2002 102 #1,775
2001 85 #2,000
2000 83 #2,003
1995 45 #2,698
1990 74 #1,898
1985 109 #1,252
1980 121 #1,126
1975 141 #920
1970 204 #730
1965 338 #519
1960 782 #337
1955 1,029 #263
1950 1,271 #211 8 #2,855
1945 1,376 #169 8 #2,632
1940 1,391 #153 17 #1,702
1935 1,257 #161 6 #3,386
1930 1,099 #177 13 #2,219
1925 1,011 #201 10 #2,817
1920 935 #208 14 #2,256
1915 790 #209 20 #1,573
1910 312 #208
1905 189 #228
1900 194 #229
1895 118 #260
1890 59 #329
1885 30 #376
1880 8 #647

Famous people named Faye

  1. Faye Dunaway Actor · b. 1941
  2. Faye Wong Actor · b. 1969
  3. Faye Grant Actor · b. 1957
  4. Faye Kellerman Writer · b. 1952
  5. Faye Marsay Actor · b. 1986

Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Faye mean?

A female given name, variant of Fay.

How popular is the name Faye in 2025?

Faye ranked #515 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 579 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Faye?

72,660 babies have been named Faye in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Faye most popular?

Faye peaked in 1943, when 1,478 newborns received the name.

Is Faye a boy or girl name?

Faye is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Faye rising or falling?

Faye is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Faye?

Well-known people named Faye include Faye Dunaway (actor), Faye Wong (actor), Faye Grant (actor).

Names like Faye

Compare Faye with similar names →