Gay
Gay is a male or female given name, the 795th ("Gay") and 1295th ("Gaye") most common female name in the United States, according to the 1990 U.S. census.
Meaning & Origin of Gay
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Gay is a male or female given name, the 795th ("Gay") and 1295th ("Gaye") most common female name in the United States, according to the 1990 U.S. census.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Gay
As a girl name
Gay first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1886, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1959, when 682 Gays were born — ranking #362 that year. As of 2026, Gay ranks #9,237 for girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 18K Gays have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Gay first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1883, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1941, when 42 Gays were born — ranking #987 that year. As of 2026, Gay ranks #4,634 for boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 1K Gays have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Gay
Phonetically similar names — useful when Gay is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gay
What does the name Gay mean?
How popular is Gay in 2026?
When was Gay most popular?
In which U.S. states is Gay most popular?
Is Gay a unisex name?
What names go well with Gay?
About the name Gay
Gay is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1886 and has accumulated 18K births in the dataset. Gay's peak popularity came in 1959 when it ranked #362. Use the chart and map above to compare Gay's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1959 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "G" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.