Boy · #157 in 2026

Hayes

Name: Popularity of the name Hayes in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Hayes, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Hayes is a given name of English or Irish origin that is a transferred use of a place name or surname. The English place name is derived from an Old English word that meant fence or enclosure. The Irish surname means “descendant of Aodh.”

Current Rank

#157

Peak Rank

#157 (2026)

Total Babies

23K

5-Yr Trend

+72%

1993

First Year

2026

Last Year

2020

Peak Year

#1944

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Hayes

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Hayes

Hayes first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 2,292 Hayess were born — ranking #157 that year. As of 2026, Hayes ranks #157 for baby boys with 2,292 births, rising sharply (+72% over the past five years). In total, more than 23K Hayess have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Hayes

Phonetically similar names — useful when Hayes is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Haze
Hays
Hase
Heys
Hayse
His
Hoes
Has
Hose
Highs
Hous
Hos

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hayes

What does the name Hayes mean?

How popular is Hayes in 2026?

In 2026, Hayes ranks #157 among boys' names in the U.S., with 2,292 babies given the name that year.

When was Hayes most popular?

Hayes reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #157 that year with 2,292 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Hayes most popular?

Hayes has historically been most popular in Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Hayes.

Is Hayes a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Hayes is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Hayes?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Hayes include Stacy, Elliott, Hector. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Hayes

Hayes is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 23K births in the dataset. Hayes's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #157. Use the chart and map above to compare Hayes's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.