Lay
The Story of Lay
As a girl name
Lay first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2014, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2014, when 7 Lays were born — ranking #13,067 that year. As of 2026, Lay ranks #16,210 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 12 Lays have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Lay first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1918, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 7 Lays were born — ranking #9,662 that year. As of 2026, Lay ranks #9,662 for boys with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 28 Lays have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Lay
Phonetically similar names — useful when Lay 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 Lay
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About the name Lay
Lay is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1918 and has accumulated 28 births in the dataset. Lay's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #9,662. Use the chart and map above to compare Lay's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2016 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all boy 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.