Total births
607
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.
- 607
- total births
- 1917–1975
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 37%
- born in that 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.
- 607 total births
- 1917–1975 years on record
- 1950s peak decade
- 37% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
607 girls have been named Gayl since 1917, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 1975.
- 607
- total births
- 1917–1975
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 37%
- born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Gayl was born in this single decade.
1952
Single peak year
43 babies were named Gayl in 1952 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 1975Peak year
1952
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1917
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
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% |
California share of Gayl's total US births 1.6%
Even split
10 of 607 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gayl? ▼
607 babies have been named Gayl since 1917. It was last recorded in 1975. The peak year was 1952 with 43 births.
When was Gayl most popular? ▼
Gayl was most popular in the 1950s decade with 225 total births. The single peak year was 1952.
Where is Gayl most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gayl are California (10 births), Illinois (6 births), New York (6 births).
How long has the name Gayl been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Gayl since 1917 -- 59 years through the most recent 1975 data.
What names are similar to Gayl? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gayle, Gay, Gayla, Gaye, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
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
- 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 Gayl
Nearby Names Like Gayl
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gayl
Gayle Girl
#13518 61,357 births
Gay Girl
17,985 births
Gayla Girl
10,838 births
Gaye Girl
5,746 births
Gaynell Girl
4,251 births
Compare Gayl side by side: Gayl vs Gayle Gayl vs Gay Gayl vs Gayla
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gayl: Baby Name Since 1917 - 607 Births, Peak 1952." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gayl. 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 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 July 2026.