Total births
32,059
Unisex name · since 1880
Fay
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 32,059 babies named Fay, peaking in 1926. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3396
- among girls today
- 32,059
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other girls
32,059 babies have been named Fay since 1880, making it today's #3396 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Fay recorded 32,059 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #3396 nationally today, ahead of 81% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #3396 among girls today
- 32,059 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 81% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Fay is currently the #3396 unisex name in America, more common than 81% of girls - 32,059 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #3396
- among girls today
- 32,059
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other girls
Fay vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3396
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 81% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Fay was born in this single decade.
1926
Single peak year
722 babies were named Fay in 1926 - its busiest year on record.
How Fay compares
32,059 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Fay's all-time total is 84x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Fay | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 32,059 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 722 | 48 | 19,840 |
Fay's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Fay's full recorded timeline at 1953, 17% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 83% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1996, with just 11 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1926 peak of 722 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Fay at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1926
Current rank
#3,396
Active since
1880
Fay popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1926)
- 722
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Fay popularity over time - boys
4,118 total births recorded since 1880 (Fay as boys' name)
Fay by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Fay's strongest decade.
6,304 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Fay births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 411
1880s
411 births
- 1890s 1,180
1890s
1,180 births
- 1900s 2,078
1900s
2,078 births
- 1910s
1910s
5,473 births
- 1920s
1920s
6,304 births
- 1930s
1930s
5,763 births
- 1940s
1940s
4,197 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,130 births
- 1960s 1,740
1960s
1,740 births
- 1970s 524
1970s
524 births
- 1980s 316
1980s
316 births
- 1990s 170
1990s
170 births
- 2000s 229
2000s
229 births
- 2010s 311
2010s
311 births
- 2020s 233
2020s
233 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 6,304 births (20% of all-time use).
How Fay 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 Fay's total volume
Fay vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Fay by state
Where Fay concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 3,025 | 9.4% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 2,536 | 7.9% |
| #3 | Texas | | 2,057 | 6.4% |
| #4 | California | | 983 | 3.1% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 958 | 3.0% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 909 | 2.8% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 861 | 2.7% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 860 | 2.7% |
New York share of Fay's total US births 9.4%
Even split
3,025 of 32,059 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 46 reporting states.
Fay appears in 46 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Fay? ▼
32,059 babies have been named Fay since 1880. It currently ranks #3396 among girls. The peak year was 1926 with 722 births.
When was Fay most popular? ▼
Fay was most popular in the 1920s decade with 6,304 total births. The single peak year was 1926.
Where is Fay most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Fay are New York (3,025 births), Pennsylvania (2,536 births), Texas (2,057 births).
Is Fay a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Fay is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 32,059 births, and as a boy's name it has 4,118 births.
How long has the name Fay been used? ▼
Fay has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Fay? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Faye, Fayth, Fayetta, Faythe, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Fay's data
- Fay's decade-level peak was the 1920s (6,304 total births); usage has since declined to 233 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Fays (3,025 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Fay
Nearby Names Like Fay
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Fay
Faye Girl
#539 72,142 births
Fayth Girl
#8050 2,055 births
Fayetta Girl
1,061 births
Faythe Girl
991 births
Fayette Girl
584 births
Compare Fay side by side: Fay vs Faye Fay vs Fayth Fay vs Fayetta
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Fay
Ora #3395
39,278 births · Peak 1919
Katheryn #3397
15,220 births · Peak 1990
Jazaiyah #3394
198 births · Peak 2023
Robbie #3398
22,553 births · Peak 1957
Melona #3393
177 births · Peak 2024
Savanah #3399
10,104 births · Peak 1998
Kior #3392
358 births · Peak 2022
Camelia #3400
2,942 births · Peak 1987
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Fay: #3396 Unisex Name - 32,059 Births, Peak 1926." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/fay. 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 Fay 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.