Girls' name · since 1917
Gayl
Gayl has 607 recorded births since 1917 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1952 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #10,472 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 607
- born since 1917
- 1950s
- peak decade
Gayl is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 607 have been recorded since 1917.
Gayl has 607 recorded births among girls since 1917, 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 1917 to 1975.
- #10,472 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 607 born since 1917
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gayl ranks #10,472 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 607 born since 1917, peaking in the 1950s.
- #10,472 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 607
- born since 1917
- 1950s
- peak decade
Gayl's 607 recorded births place it above 85.5% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 4 jurisdictions, led by California.
Gayl's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Gayl's full recorded timeline at 1952, 52% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 48% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1917, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1952 peak of 43 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Gayl popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–1975
- Peak year (1952)
- 43
- Annual births at peak, across 59 years of records
Gayl popularity over time - boys
15 total births recorded since 1933 (Gayl as boys' name)
Gayl by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (225 births, 37% of the file).
1950s was Gayl's strongest decade.
225 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Gayl births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1930s 76
1930s
76 births
- 1940s
1940s
161 births
- 1950s
1950s
225 births
- 1960s
1960s
102 births
- 1970s 33
1970s
33 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 225 births (37% of all-time use).
How Gayl 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 Gayl's total volume
Gayl by state
Where Gayl concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 10 | 1.6% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 6 | 1.0% |
| #3 | New York | | 6 | 1.0% |
| #4 | Indiana | | 5 | 0.8% |
10 of 607 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gayl? ▼
Where does Gayl sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Gayl most popular? ▼
Where is Gayl most popular? ▼
How long has the name Gayl been used? ▼
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What to do with Gayl's data
- Gayl's decade-level peak was the 1950s (225 total births); usage has since declined to 33 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Gayls (10 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Gayl
Nearby Names Like Gayl
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gayl
Compare Gayl side by side: Gayl vs Gayle Gayl vs Gay Gayl vs Gayla
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Gayl: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1952)
Similar record span (~58 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, 1917–1975 (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 Gayl 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.