Unisex name · since 1987
Bay
Since 1987, U.S. Social Security records show 523 babies named Bay, peaking in 2014. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #11,509 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #12,309 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 523
- born since 1987
- 2010s
- peak decade
Bay currently ranks #12309 among unisex names in America, with 523 babies recorded since 1987.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bay has been recorded 523 times among girls since 1987, currently ranked #12309 nationally and more common than 29% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1987 to 2025.
- #11,509 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #12,309 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 523 born since 1987
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bay ranks #11,509 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #12,309 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 523 born since 1987, peaking in the 2010s.
- #11,509 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #12,309 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 523
- born since 1987
- 2010s
- peak decade
Bay's 523 recorded births place it above 84.07% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 4 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Bay compares
523 Top 44% higher than 56% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Bay's all-time total is 39% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bay | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 523 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 75 | 21 | 19,840 |
Bay's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Bay's SSA record in two at 2011 and the more recent half accounts for 79% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 21%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1987, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2014 peak of 75, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Bay popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1987–2025
- Peak year (2014)
- 75
- Annual births at peak, across 39 years of records
Bay popularity over time - boys
204 total births recorded since 1916 (Bay as boys' name)
Bay by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (357 births, 68% of the file).
2010s was Bay's strongest decade.
357 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 68% of all-time use.
Bay births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s 34
1990s
34 births
- 2000s 62
2000s
62 births
- 2010s
2010s
357 births
- 2020s 65
2020s
65 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 357 births (68% of all-time use).
How Bay compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Bay's total volume
Bay by state
Where Bay concentrates geographically, total births since 1987
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 32 | 6.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 23 | 4.4% |
| #3 | New York | | 10 | 1.9% |
| #4 | Indiana | | 5 | 1.0% |
32 of 523 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Bay's data
- Bay's decade-level peak was the 2010s (357 total births); usage has since declined to 65 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Bays (32 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Bay
Nearby Names Like Bay
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bay
Compare Bay side by side: Bay vs Baylee Bay vs Bayleigh Bay vs Baylor
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bay
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Bay: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2014)
Similar record span (~38 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1987–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Bay draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.