Total births
72,142
Girls' name · since 1880
Faye
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 72,142 babies named Faye, peaking in 1943. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #539
- among girls today
- 72,142
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Faye currently ranks #539 among girls' names in America, with 72,142 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Faye has been recorded 72,142 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #539 nationally and more common than 97% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1940s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #539 among girls today
- 72,142 born since 1880
- 1940s peak decade
- 97% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Faye is currently the #539 girls' name in America, more common than 97% of girls - 72,142 born since 1880, peaking in the 1940s.
- #539
- among girls today
- 72,142
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Faye vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#539
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 97% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Faye was born in this single decade.
1943
Single peak year
1,468 babies were named Faye in 1943 - its busiest year on record.
How Faye compares
72,142 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Faye's all-time total is 189x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Faye | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 72,142 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,468 | 48 | 19,840 |
Faye's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Faye's full recorded timeline at 1953, 30% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 70% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 8 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1943 peak of 1,468 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Faye at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1943
Current rank
#539
Active since
1880
Faye popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1943)
- 1,468
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Faye popularity over time - boys
518 total births recorded since 1901 (Faye as boys' name)
Faye by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Faye's strongest decade.
13,711 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Faye births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 296
1880s
296 births
- 1890s 1,130
1890s
1,130 births
- 1900s 2,210
1900s
2,210 births
- 1910s
1910s
6,826 births
- 1920s
1920s
10,233 births
- 1930s
1930s
12,555 births
- 1940s
1940s
13,711 births
- 1950s
1950s
10,427 births
- 1960s 4,244
1960s
4,244 births
- 1970s 1,558
1970s
1,558 births
- 1980s 1,058
1980s
1,058 births
- 1990s 618
1990s
618 births
- 2000s 1,106
2000s
1,106 births
- 2010s 2,969
2010s
2,969 births
- 2020s 3,201
2020s
3,201 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 13,711 births (19% of all-time use).
How Faye 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 Faye's total volume
Faye vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Faye by state
Where Faye concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 4,592 | 6.4% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 4,108 | 5.7% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 3,816 | 5.3% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 2,841 | 3.9% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 2,781 | 3.9% |
| #6 | New York | | 2,743 | 3.8% |
| #7 | California | | 2,691 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 2,553 | 3.5% |
Texas share of Faye's total US births 6.4%
Even split
4,592 of 72,142 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Faye appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Faye? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 72,142 babies named Faye. Today it holds rank #539 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1943, with 1,468 births.
When was Faye most popular? ▼
Faye was most popular in the 1940s decade with 13,711 total births. The single peak year was 1943.
Where is Faye most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Faye are Texas (4,592 births), North Carolina (4,108 births), Pennsylvania (3,816 births).
How long has the name Faye been used? ▼
Records for Faye go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Faye? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Fay, Fayth, Fayetta, Faythe, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Faye's data
- Faye's decade-level peak was the 1940s (13,711 total births); usage has since declined to 3,201 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Fayes (4,592 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 Faye
Nearby Names Like Faye
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Faye
Fay Girl
#3396 32,059 births
Fayth Girl
#8050 2,055 births
Fayetta Girl
1,061 births
Faythe Girl
991 births
Fayette Girl
584 births
Compare Faye side by side: Faye vs Fay Faye vs Fayth Faye vs Fayetta
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Faye
Jimena #538
17,034 births · Peak 2016
Louise #540
336,466 births · Peak 1921
Jordan #537
135,599 births · Peak 1997
Amber #541
374,690 births · Peak 1986
Briana #536
97,120 births · Peak 1994
Makayla #542
108,030 births · Peak 2008
Ari #535
7,662 births · Peak 2022
Zahra #543
9,395 births · Peak 2025
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. "Faye: #539 Girls' Name - 72,142 Births, Peak 1943." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/faye. 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 Faye 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.