Boy · #10,889 in 2026

Hayward

Hayward is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Hayward Alker (1937–2007), American international relations academic Hayward Clay, American football player Hayward Davenport (1874–1959), British maritime painter Hayward H. Davis (1928–2014), American politician Hayward A.

Current Rank
#10,889
Peak Rank
#753 (1956)
Total Babies
5K
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1884
First Year
2024
Last Year
1956
Peak Year
#753
Peak Rank
5K
Total Count
129
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Hayward

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

Hayward is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Hayward Alker (1937–2007), American international relations academic Hayward Clay, American football player Hayward Davenport (1874–1959), British maritime painter Hayward H. Davis (1928–2014), American politician Hayward A.

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

The Story of Hayward

Hayward first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1884, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1956, when 95 Haywards were born — ranking #753 that year. As of 2026, Hayward ranks #10,889 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 5K Haywards have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Hayward

Phonetically similar names — useful when Hayward 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 Hayward

What does the name Hayward mean?
Hayward is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Hayward Alker (1937–2007), American international relations academic Hayward Clay, American football player Hayward Davenport (1874–1959), British maritime painter Hayward H. Davis (1928–2014), American politician Hayward A.
How popular is Hayward in 2026?
In 2026, Hayward ranks #10,889 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Hayward most popular?
Hayward reached its peak popularity in 1956, ranking #753 that year with 95 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Hayward most popular?
Hayward has historically been most popular in West Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Hayward.
Is Hayward a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Hayward is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Hayward?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Hayward include Vivian, Furman, Jonnie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Hayward

Hayward is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1884 and has accumulated 5K births in the dataset. Hayward's peak popularity came in 1956 when it ranked #753. Use the chart and map above to compare Hayward'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.