Kaye
A male given name transferred from the surname.
Every Kaye since 1901 — 13,707 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Kaye
Kaye is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #6,442 in 2025 with 18 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1901, 13,707 American babies have been named Kaye. Its peak came in 1947, when 547 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 Kaye stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Kaye 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 | 18 | #6,442 | — | — |
| 2024 | 11 | #9,242 | — | — |
| 2023 | 7 | #12,795 | — | — |
| 2022 | 15 | #7,460 | — | — |
| 2021 | 13 | #8,263 | — | — |
| 2020 | 10 | #9,908 | — | — |
| 2019 | 13 | #8,366 | — | — |
| 2018 | 10 | #10,185 | — | — |
| 2017 | 8 | #12,201 | — | — |
| 2016 | 8 | #12,317 | — | — |
| 2015 | 16 | #7,438 | — | — |
| 2014 | 10 | #10,542 | — | — |
| 2013 | 10 | #10,625 | — | — |
| 2012 | 10 | #10,839 | — | — |
| 2011 | 5 | #18,186 | — | — |
| 2010 | 11 | #10,123 | — | — |
| 2009 | 7 | #14,461 | — | — |
| 2008 | 14 | #8,741 | — | — |
| 2007 | 9 | #12,148 | — | — |
| 2006 | 13 | #8,990 | — | — |
| 2005 | 14 | #8,104 | — | — |
| 2004 | 16 | #7,241 | — | — |
| 2003 | 14 | #7,785 | — | — |
| 2002 | 16 | #6,872 | — | — |
| 2001 | 13 | #7,971 | — | — |
| 2000 | 22 | #5,230 | — | — |
| 1995 | 17 | #5,562 | — | — |
| 1990 | 30 | #3,567 | — | — |
| 1985 | 29 | #3,123 | — | — |
| 1980 | 52 | #2,029 | — | — |
| 1975 | 39 | #2,182 | — | — |
| 1970 | 90 | #1,243 | — | — |
| 1965 | 170 | #760 | — | — |
| 1960 | 291 | #579 | — | — |
| 1955 | 347 | #487 | — | — |
| 1950 | 364 | #419 | 6 | #3,510 |
| 1945 | 443 | #324 | 12 | #2,066 |
| 1940 | 355 | #341 | 15 | #1,850 |
| 1935 | 119 | #599 | 33 | #1,153 |
| 1930 | 34 | #1,306 | 29 | #1,355 |
| 1925 | 35 | #1,358 | 5 | #4,579 |
| 1920 | 25 | #1,681 | 7 | #3,656 |
| 1915 | 16 | #2,002 | — | — |
| 1910 | 6 | #2,285 | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Kaye
- Kaye Hall Swimmer · b. 1951
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Kaye mean?
A male given name transferred from the surname.
How popular is the name Kaye in 2025?
Kaye ranked #6,442 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 18 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Kaye?
13,707 babies have been named Kaye in the United States since 1901, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Kaye most popular?
Kaye peaked in 1947, when 547 newborns received the name.
Is Kaye a boy or girl name?
Kaye is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 96% of babies with the name.
Is the name Kaye rising or falling?
Kaye has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Kaye?
Well-known people named Kaye include Kaye Hall (swimmer).