Unisex name · since 1886
Gay
Since 1886, U.S. Social Security records show 17,985 babies named Gay, peaking in 1959. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1,141 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 17,985
- born since 1886
- 1950s
- peak decade
Gay is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 17,985 have been recorded since 1886.
Gay has 17,985 recorded births among girls since 1886, 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 1886 to 1982.
- #1,141 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 17,985 born since 1886
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gay ranks #1,141 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 17,985 born since 1886, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1,141 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 17,985
- born since 1886
- 1950s
- peak decade
Gay's 17,985 recorded births place it above 98.42% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
46 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
Gay's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Gay's SSA record in two at 1933 and the more recent half accounts for 88% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 12%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1886, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1959 peak of 682, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Gay popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1886–1982
- Peak year (1959)
- 682
- Annual births at peak, across 97 years of records
Gay popularity over time - boys
1,382 total births recorded since 1883 (Gay as boys' name)
Gay by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (5,654 births, 31% of the file).
1950s was Gay's strongest decade.
5,654 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Gay births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 41
1880s
41 births
- 1890s 160
1890s
160 births
- 1900s 183
1900s
183 births
- 1910s 483
1910s
483 births
- 1920s 745
1920s
745 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,587 births
- 1940s
1940s
4,329 births
- 1950s
1950s
5,654 births
- 1960s
1960s
3,409 births
- 1970s 388
1970s
388 births
- 1980s 6
1980s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 5,654 births (31% of all-time use).
How Gay 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 Gay's total volume
Gay by state
Where Gay concentrates geographically, total births since 1886
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 2,006 | 11.2% |
| #2 | California | | 1,342 | 7.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 830 | 4.6% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 793 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 760 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 728 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 690 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 564 | 3.1% |
2,006 of 17,985 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 46 reporting states.
Gay appears in 46 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Gay's data
- Gay's decade-level peak was the 1950s (5,654 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Gays (2,006 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Gay
Nearby Names Like Gay
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gay
Compare Gay side by side: Gay vs Gayle Gay vs Gayla Gay vs Gaye
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Gay: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1959)
Similar record span (~96 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, 1886–1982 (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 Gay 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.