Girls' name · since 1939
Cay
Since 1939, U.S. Social Security records show 241 babies named Cay, peaking in 1955. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #17,926 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 241
- born since 1939
- 1950s
- peak decade
Cay sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 241 recorded since 1939.
Cay has 241 recorded births among girls since 1939, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1939 to 1966.
- #17,926 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 241 born since 1939
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cay ranks #17,926 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 241 born since 1939, peaking in the 1950s.
- #17,926 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 241
- born since 1939
- 1950s
- peak decade
Cay's 241 recorded births place it above 75.17% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Cay's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Cay splits its recorded history at 1956: 49% of all births land in the more recent half, 51% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1966 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1955 peak of 38 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Cay popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1939–1966
- Peak year (1955)
- 38
- Annual births at peak, across 28 years of records
Cay popularity over time - boys
11 total births recorded since 1919 (Cay as boys' name)
Cay by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (143 births, 59% of the file).
1950s was Cay's strongest decade.
143 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 59% of all-time use.
Cay births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 7
1930s
7 births
- 1940s 34
1940s
34 births
- 1950s
1950s
143 births
- 1960s 57
1960s
57 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 143 births (59% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Cay's data
- Cay's usage has stayed within range of its 1950s decade-level peak (143 total births) through the 1960s (57) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cay
Nearby Names Like Cay
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cay
Compare Cay side by side: Cay vs Cayla Cay vs Caylee Cay vs Caydence
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Cay: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1955)
Similar record span (~27 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, 1939–1966 (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 Cay 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.