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.
- English
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 →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Gay
As a girl name
American parents first put Gay on the record books as a girl name in 1886, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1959, when 682 Gays were born — ranking #362 that year. About 31% of every Gay on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. Gay last appeared in the published SSA data in 1982, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 18K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Gay on the record books as a boy name in 1883, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1941, when 42 Gays were born — ranking #987 that year. About 22% of every Gay on record arrived during the 1930s, its defining decade. Gay last appeared in the published SSA data in 1974, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 1K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Gay
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Gay. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
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?
What is the origin of the name Gay?
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?
What are nicknames or variants of 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.