Total births
2,392
Girls' name · since 1882
Fairy
Fairy has 2,392 recorded births since 1882 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1917 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #15331
- among girls today
- 2,392
- born since 1882
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 14%
- more common than other girls
2,392 babies have been named Fairy since 1882, making it today's #15331 girls' name.
Fairy has 2,392 recorded births among girls since 1882, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #15331 as of the latest data, more common than 14% of girls, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2024.
- #15331 among girls today
- 2,392 born since 1882
- 1920s peak decade
- 14% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Fairy is currently the #15331 girls' name in America, more common than 14% of girls - 2,392 born since 1882, peaking in the 1920s.
- #15331
- among girls today
- 2,392
- born since 1882
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 14%
- more common than other girls
Fairy vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#15331
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 14% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Fairy was born in this single decade.
1917
Single peak year
80 babies were named Fairy in 1917 - its busiest year on record.
How Fairy compares
2,392 Top 20% higher than 80% of 17,726 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
Fairy's all-time total is 6x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Fairy | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,392 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 80 | 48 | 19,840 |
Fairy's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Fairy's full recorded timeline at 1928, 40% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 60% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1882, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1917 peak of 80 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Fairy at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1917
Current rank
#15,331
Active since
1882
Fairy popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2024
- Peak year (1917)
- 80
- Annual births at peak, across 143 years of records
Fairy by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Fairy's strongest decade.
597 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Fairy births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 61
1880s
61 births
- 1890s 160
1890s
160 births
- 1900s 234
1900s
234 births
- 1910s
1910s
488 births
- 1920s
1920s
597 births
- 1930s
1930s
391 births
- 1940s 220
1940s
220 births
- 1950s 140
1950s
140 births
- 1960s 50
1960s
50 births
- 2010s 41
2010s
41 births
- 2020s 10
2020s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 597 births (25% of all-time use).
How Fairy 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 Fairy's total volume
Fairy vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Fairy by state
Where Fairy concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 131 | 5.5% |
| #2 | Kentucky | | 79 | 3.3% |
| #3 | Mississippi | | 40 | 1.7% |
| #4 | South Carolina | | 39 | 1.6% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 34 | 1.4% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 32 | 1.3% |
| #7 | Oklahoma | | 21 | 0.9% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 20 | 0.8% |
Texas share of Fairy's total US births 5.5%
Even split
131 of 2,392 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 16 reporting states.
Fairy appears in 16 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Fairy? ▼
Since 1882, Social Security records show 2,392 babies named Fairy. Today it holds rank #15331 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1917, with 80 births.
When was Fairy most popular? ▼
Fairy was most popular in the 1920s decade with 597 total births. The single peak year was 1917.
Where is Fairy most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Fairy are Texas (131 births), Kentucky (79 births), Mississippi (40 births).
How long has the name Fairy been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Fairy since 1882 -- 143 years through the most recent 2024 data.
What names are similar to Fairy? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Faith, Faigy, Faiga, Faiza, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Fairy's data
- Fairy's decade-level peak was the 1920s (597 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Fairys (131 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Fairy
Nearby Names Like Fairy
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Fairy
Faith Girl
#248 147,851 births
Faigy Girl
#1547 3,657 births
Faiga Girl
#2449 1,474 births
Faiza Girl
#3777 1,059 births
Faithe Girl
#15461 710 births
Compare Fairy side by side: Fairy vs Faith Fairy vs Faigy Fairy vs Faiga
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Fairy
Dorthea #15330
2,437 births · Peak 1921
Frederica #15332
2,358 births · Peak 1960
Anie #15329
236 births · Peak 1921
Lovey #15333
859 births · Peak 1925
Lucetta #15328
563 births · Peak 1916
Norine #15334
5,242 births · Peak 1920
Bernadine #15327
21,933 births · Peak 1924
Garnet #15335
6,913 births · Peak 1918
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1882–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Fairy: #15331 Girls' Name - 2,392 Births, Peak 1917." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/fairy. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Fairy 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 June 2026.