Nay
Nay is a surname and sometimes given name. Most notable people include:
Meaning & Origin of Nay
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Nay is a surname and sometimes given name. Most notable people include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Nay
As a girl name
Nay first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1982, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2014, when 6 Nays were born — ranking #14,553 that year. As of 2026, Nay ranks #14,553 for girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 11 Nays have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Nay first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1921, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2015, when 9 Nays were born — ranking #8,038 that year. As of 2026, Nay ranks #8,161 for boys with 9 births, with steady use. In total, more than 78 Nays have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Nay
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nay 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 Nay
What does the name Nay mean?
How popular is Nay in 2026?
When was Nay most popular?
Is Nay a unisex name?
What names go well with Nay?
About the name Nay
Nay is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1921 and has accumulated 78 births in the dataset. Nay's peak popularity came in 2015 when it ranked #8,038. Use the chart and map above to compare Nay's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2015 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- 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.