Jay
#10,107 for girls in 2025, 9 births · #392 for boys in 2025, 809 births
Given to boys 98.7% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1960 · 5,385 births
- Debut · boys
- 103 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 16 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 195,548since 1880
Jay over time
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #10,107 | 9 | #392 | 809 |
| 2024 | #6,932 | 16 | #396 | 822 |
| 2023 | #8,989 | 11 | #381 | 837 |
| 2022 | #7,631 | 14 | #367 | 897 |
| 2021 | #8,024 | 13 | #377 | 864 |
| 2020 | #8,406 | 12 | #380 | 808 |
| 2019 | #8,597 | 12 | #373 | 848 |
| 2018 | — | #397 | 799 | |
| 2017 | #8,776 | 12 | #382 | 859 |
| 2016 | #14,331 | 6 | #392 | 818 |
| 2015 | #11,835 | 8 | #393 | 806 |
| 2014 | #6,987 | 17 | #370 | 850 |
| 2013 | #13,150 | 7 | #389 | 767 |
| 2012 | #16,869 | 5 | #386 | 772 |
| 2011 | — | #397 | 718 | |
| 2010 | #14,959 | 6 | #410 | 687 |
| 2009 | #9,975 | 11 | #408 | 719 |
| 2008 | — | #394 | 763 | |
| 2007 | #8,520 | 14 | #396 | 752 |
| 2006 | #13,606 | 7 | #350 | 867 |
| 2005 | #14,502 | 6 | #348 | 852 |
| 2004 | #12,761 | 7 | #347 | 822 |
| 2003 | #7,998 | 13 | #344 | 810 |
| 2002 | — | #334 | 825 | |
| 2001 | #8,196 | 12 | #313 | 888 |
| 2000 | #15,031 | 5 | #326 | 869 |
| 1999 | #9,479 | 9 | #325 | 855 |
| 1998 | #10,122 | 8 | #326 | 833 |
| 1997 | #10,836 | 7 | #292 | 946 |
| 1996 | #8,812 | 9 | #287 | 942 |
| 1995 | #7,514 | 11 | #275 | 1,011 |
| 1994 | #6,319 | 14 | #262 | 1,102 |
| 1993 | #4,998 | 19 | #260 | 1,106 |
| 1992 | #10,479 | 7 | #236 | 1,220 |
| 1991 | #7,987 | 10 | #234 | 1,268 |
| 1990 | #6,131 | 14 | #217 | 1,403 |
| 1989 | #6,531 | 12 | #203 | 1,444 |
| 1988 | #5,321 | 15 | #199 | 1,369 |
| 1987 | #5,312 | 14 | #185 | 1,487 |
| 1986 | #4,539 | 17 | #179 | 1,484 |
| 1985 | #3,983 | 20 | #175 | 1,524 |
| 1984 | #4,166 | 18 | #171 | 1,554 |
| 1983 | #3,806 | 20 | #170 | 1,541 |
| 1982 | #4,167 | 18 | #164 | 1,667 |
| 1981 | #4,344 | 17 | #153 | 1,787 |
| 1980 | #3,609 | 22 | #141 | 1,984 |
| 1979 | #3,541 | 22 | #126 | 2,145 |
| 1978 | #3,196 | 24 | #119 | 2,151 |
| 1977 | #3,612 | 20 | #130 | 2,097 |
| 1976 | #3,540 | 19 | #126 | 2,105 |
| 1975 | #2,232 | 37 | #117 | 2,174 |
| 1974 | #2,616 | 28 | #110 | 2,360 |
| 1973 | #2,267 | 34 | #118 | 2,215 |
| 1972 | #2,057 | 38 | #115 | 2,443 |
| 1971 | #3,062 | 22 | #114 | 2,866 |
| 1970 | #2,120 | 38 | #97 | 3,415 |
| 1969 | #2,350 | 30 | #95 | 3,181 |
| 1968 | #2,164 | 31 | #87 | 3,428 |
| 1967 | #1,848 | 40 | #87 | 3,612 |
| 1966 | #2,586 | 22 | #91 | 3,598 |
| 1965 | #2,064 | 32 | #90 | 3,944 |
| 1964 | #1,975 | 36 | #84 | 4,567 |
| 1963 | #1,815 | 41 | #85 | 4,720 |
| 1962 | #1,444 | 59 | #80 | 5,158 |
| 1961 | #1,697 | 45 | #81 | 5,119 |
| 1960 | #1,695 | 44 | #78 | 5,385 |
| 1959 | #1,552 | 49 | #88 | 4,940 |
| 1958 | #1,578 | 46 | #86 | 5,027 |
| 1957 | #1,507 | 50 | #88 | 4,630 |
| 1956 | #1,378 | 57 | #92 | 4,120 |
| 1955 | #1,480 | 47 | #103 | 3,396 |
| 1954 | #1,317 | 57 | #101 | 3,372 |
| 1953 | #1,424 | 47 | #99 | 3,235 |
| 1952 | #1,454 | 44 | #106 | 3,028 |
| 1951 | #1,555 | 37 | #116 | 2,637 |
| 1950 | #1,653 | 32 | #115 | 2,584 |
| 1949 | #1,469 | 39 | #118 | 2,457 |
| 1948 | #1,669 | 31 | #123 | 2,272 |
| 1947 | #1,576 | 36 | #119 | 2,438 |
| 1946 | #1,360 | 41 | #115 | 2,196 |
| 1945 | #1,261 | 40 | #125 | 1,760 |
| 1944 | #1,486 | 30 | #136 | 1,554 |
| 1943 | #1,625 | 27 | #134 | 1,673 |
| 1942 | #1,917 | 20 | #133 | 1,598 |
| 1941 | #1,569 | 25 | #137 | 1,416 |
| 1940 | #1,591 | 24 | #139 | 1,291 |
| 1939 | #2,038 | 16 | #142 | 1,146 |
| 1938 | #1,505 | 25 | #138 | 1,181 |
| 1937 | #1,416 | 27 | #136 | 1,147 |
| 1936 | #1,549 | 23 | #140 | 1,102 |
| 1935 | #1,550 | 23 | #147 | 1,067 |
| 1934 | #1,344 | 29 | #157 | 933 |
| 1933 | #1,658 | 21 | #151 | 949 |
| 1932 | #1,520 | 25 | #161 | 934 |
| 1931 | #1,941 | 17 | #166 | 867 |
| 1930 | #1,748 | 21 | #166 | 891 |
| 1929 | #1,447 | 28 | #168 | 842 |
| 1928 | #1,310 | 34 | #185 | 769 |
| 1927 | #1,303 | 37 | #171 | 870 |
| 1926 | #1,198 | 41 | #175 | 827 |
| 1925 | #1,946 | 20 | #182 | 789 |
| 1924 | #2,308 | 16 | #170 | 854 |
| 1923 | #2,264 | 16 | #172 | 829 |
| 1922 | #2,387 | 15 | #180 | 780 |
| 1921 | #2,195 | 17 | #174 | 828 |
| 1920 | #2,172 | 17 | #201 | 666 |
| 1919 | #2,813 | 11 | #197 | 637 |
| 1918 | #1,887 | 20 | #185 | 706 |
| 1917 | #1,431 | 27 | #188 | 643 |
| 1916 | #1,445 | 26 | #184 | 640 |
| 1915 | #1,964 | 16 | #200 | 537 |
| 1914 | #1,740 | 15 | #213 | 379 |
| 1913 | #1,528 | 15 | #192 | 349 |
| 1912 | #2,360 | 7 | #183 | 318 |
| 1911 | #2,463 | 5 | #229 | 126 |
| 1910 | #1,773 | 8 | #213 | 120 |
| 1909 | — | #217 | 98 | |
| 1908 | #1,439 | 9 | #218 | 89 |
| 1907 | — | #210 | 91 | |
| 1906 | — | #203 | 87 | |
| 1905 | #1,538 | 7 | #193 | 92 |
| 1904 | — | #189 | 95 | |
| 1903 | — | #193 | 82 | |
| 1902 | — | #188 | 89 | |
| 1901 | — | #160 | 96 | |
| 1900 | — | #189 | 107 | |
| 1899 | — | #208 | 63 | |
| 1898 | — | #184 | 85 | |
| 1897 | — | #186 | 82 | |
| 1896 | #1,583 | 5 | #202 | 78 |
| 1895 | — | #171 | 91 | |
| 1894 | — | #160 | 96 | |
| 1893 | — | #142 | 105 | |
| 1892 | — | #145 | 111 | |
| 1891 | — | #137 | 99 | |
| 1890 | — | #133 | 108 | |
| 1889 | — | #139 | 104 | |
| 1888 | — | #129 | 122 | |
| 1887 | — | #124 | 106 | |
| 1886 | — | #126 | 107 | |
| 1885 | — | #149 | 91 | |
| 1884 | — | #130 | 110 | |
| 1883 | — | #128 | 97 | |
| 1882 | — | #170 | 80 | |
| 1881 | — | #123 | 96 | |
| 1880 | — | #126 | 103 | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Jay was already there! It came in at #126, and was given to 103 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1895–1899, when fewer than 92 boys a year got the name.
See more about Jay
- 4 spots since 2024 (#396 → #392)
- 12 spots since 2020 (#380 → #392)
- 1 spot since 2015 (#393 → #392)
- Biggest jump: 46 spots in 1912 (#229 → #183)
- Biggest drop: 47 spots in 1882 (#123 → #170)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1960 at #78 (5,385 births)
- Births halved by 1972, 12 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 16 yrs · run 1956–1970
- Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
- Highest: 1 in 396 boys born in 1960 were named Jay (0.25%)
- Latest: 1 in 2,111 boys born in 2025 (0.05%)
- 21.8% of all boys named Jay (42,712) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,016 | #123 (1881) | #134 |
| 1890s | 918 | #133 (1890) | #167 |
| 1900s | 926 | #160 (1901) | #196 |
| 1910s | 4,455 | #183 (1912) | #198 |
| 1920s | 8,054 | #168 (1929) | #178 |
| 1930s | 10,217 | #136 (1937) | #150 |
| 1940s | 18,655 | #115 (1946) | #128 |
| 1950s | 36,969 | #86 (1958) | #99 |
| 1960s | 42,712 | #78 (1960) | #86 |
| 1970s | 23,971 | #97 (1970) | #117 |
| 1980s | 15,841 | #141 (1980) | #174 |
| 1990s | 10,686 | #217 (1990) | #271 |
| 2000s | 8,167 | #313 (2001) | #356 |
| 2010s | 7,924 | #370 (2014) | #389 |
| 2020s | 5,037 | #367 (2022) | #382 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Jay in 1972
Top girls' names in 1972
Top boys' names in 1972
More about 1972
girls
1,521,244 girls got a published name in 1972; 1 in 40,033 of them was named Jay, which outranked 78.7% of the 9,666 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.6% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #2,022Towanna39
- #2,022Zelda39
- #2,022Zena39
- #2,057Jay38
- #2,057Anya38
- #2,057Arleen38
- #2,057Astrid38
- #2,093Adelaida37
- #2,093Adelina37
- #2,093Alyse37
Tied with 35 names at #2,057; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,621,608 boys got a published name in 1972; 1 in 664 of them was named Jay, which outranked 98.0% of the 5,751 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 26.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.