Jay
A male given name transferred from the surname.
Every Jay since 1880 — 198,132 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Jay
Jay is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #392 in 2025 with 809 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 198,132 American babies have been named Jay. Its peak came in 1960, when 5,429 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1960s.
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 Jay stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Jay 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 | 9 | #10,452 | 809 | #392 |
| 2024 | 16 | #7,069 | 822 | #396 |
| 2023 | 11 | #9,267 | 837 | #381 |
| 2022 | 14 | #7,799 | 897 | #367 |
| 2021 | 13 | #8,230 | 864 | #377 |
| 2020 | 12 | #8,632 | 808 | #380 |
| 2019 | 12 | #8,810 | 848 | #374 |
| 2018 | — | — | 799 | #398 |
| 2017 | 12 | #9,014 | 859 | #382 |
| 2016 | 6 | #15,140 | 818 | #392 |
| 2015 | 8 | #12,316 | 806 | #393 |
| 2014 | 17 | #7,125 | 850 | #371 |
| 2013 | 7 | #13,787 | 767 | #389 |
| 2012 | 5 | #18,003 | 772 | #386 |
| 2011 | — | — | 718 | #397 |
| 2010 | 6 | #15,809 | 687 | #410 |
| 2009 | 11 | #10,271 | 719 | #408 |
| 2008 | — | — | 763 | #394 |
| 2007 | 14 | #8,737 | 752 | #396 |
| 2006 | 7 | #14,193 | 867 | #350 |
| 2005 | 6 | #15,301 | 852 | #348 |
| 2004 | 7 | #13,344 | 822 | #347 |
| 2003 | 13 | #8,204 | 810 | #345 |
| 2002 | — | — | 825 | #334 |
| 2001 | 12 | #8,431 | 888 | #313 |
| 2000 | 5 | #16,090 | 869 | #326 |
| 1995 | 11 | #7,739 | 1,011 | #275 |
| 1990 | 14 | #6,259 | 1,403 | #217 |
| 1985 | 20 | #4,036 | 1,524 | #175 |
| 1980 | 22 | #3,652 | 1,984 | #141 |
| 1975 | 37 | #2,250 | 2,174 | #117 |
| 1970 | 38 | #2,135 | 3,415 | #97 |
| 1965 | 32 | #2,083 | 3,944 | #90 |
| 1960 | 44 | #1,705 | 5,385 | #78 |
| 1955 | 47 | #1,486 | 3,396 | #103 |
| 1950 | 32 | #1,662 | 2,584 | #115 |
| 1945 | 40 | #1,272 | 1,760 | #125 |
| 1940 | 24 | #1,609 | 1,291 | #139 |
| 1935 | 23 | #1,579 | 1,067 | #147 |
| 1930 | 21 | #1,775 | 891 | #166 |
| 1925 | 20 | #1,971 | 789 | #182 |
| 1920 | 17 | #2,213 | 666 | #201 |
| 1915 | 16 | #1,998 | 537 | #200 |
| 1910 | 8 | #1,845 | 120 | #213 |
| 1905 | 7 | #1,607 | 92 | #194 |
| 1900 | — | — | 107 | #192 |
| 1895 | — | — | 91 | #173 |
| 1890 | — | — | 108 | #133 |
| 1885 | — | — | 91 | #150 |
| 1880 | — | — | 103 | #127 |
Famous people named Jay
- Jay Leno Presenter · b. 1950
- Jay Rockefeller Politician · b. 1937
- Jay Wright Forrester Computer scientist · 1918–2016
- Jay Cutler Athlete · b. 1973
- Jay Miner Inventor · 1932–1994
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Jay mean?
A male given name transferred from the surname.
How popular is the name Jay in 2025?
Jay ranked #392 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 809 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Jay?
198,132 babies have been named Jay in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Jay most popular?
Jay peaked in 1960, when 5,429 newborns received the name.
Is Jay a boy or girl name?
Jay is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Jay rising or falling?
Jay has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Jay?
Well-known people named Jay include Jay Leno (presenter), Jay Rockefeller (politician), Jay Wright Forrester (computer scientist).