Total births
61,357
Unisex name · since 1891
Gayle
61,357 babies named Gayle in U.S. Social Security records since 1891, with the highest year being 1951. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #13518
- among girls today
- 61,357
- born since 1891
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 24%
- more common than other girls
61,357 babies have been named Gayle since 1891, making it today's #13518 unisex name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gayle has been recorded 61,357 times among girls since 1891, currently ranked #13518 nationally and more common than 24% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1891 to 2024.
- #13518 among girls today
- 61,357 born since 1891
- 1950s peak decade
- 24% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gayle is currently the #13518 unisex name in America, more common than 24% of girls - 61,357 born since 1891, peaking in the 1950s.
- #13518
- among girls today
- 61,357
- born since 1891
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 24%
- more common than other girls
Gayle vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#13518
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 24% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
39% of everyone ever named Gayle was born in this single decade.
1951
Single peak year
2,826 babies were named Gayle in 1951 - its busiest year on record.
How Gayle compares
61,357 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
Gayle's all-time total is 161x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gayle | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 61,357 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 2,826 | 48 | 19,840 |
Gayle's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Gayle's full recorded timeline at 1957, 33% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 67% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1893, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1951 peak of 2,826 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Gayle at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1951
Current rank
#13,518
Active since
1891
Gayle popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1891–2024
- Peak year (1951)
- 2,826
- Annual births at peak, across 134 years of records
Gayle popularity over time - boys
4,951 total births recorded since 1898 (Gayle as boys' name)
Gayle by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Gayle's strongest decade.
23,727 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Gayle births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 70
1890s
70 births
- 1900s 121
1900s
121 births
- 1910s 716
1910s
716 births
- 1920s 1,025
1920s
1,025 births
- 1930s 5,034
1930s
5,034 births
- 1940s
1940s
16,198 births
- 1950s
1950s
23,727 births
- 1960s
1960s
10,117 births
- 1970s 2,707
1970s
2,707 births
- 1980s 1,056
1980s
1,056 births
- 1990s 369
1990s
369 births
- 2000s 130
2000s
130 births
- 2010s 57
2010s
57 births
- 2020s 30
2020s
30 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 23,727 births (39% of all-time use).
How Gayle 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 Gayle's total volume
Gayle vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Gayle by state
Where Gayle concentrates geographically, total births since 1891
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5,852 | 9.5% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 4,130 | 6.7% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 4,062 | 6.6% |
| #4 | New York | | 3,626 | 5.9% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 3,561 | 5.8% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 2,967 | 4.8% |
| #7 | Texas | | 2,499 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 2,278 | 3.7% |
California share of Gayle's total US births 9.5%
Even split
5,852 of 61,357 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Gayle appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gayle? ▼
Gayle has been given to 61,357 babies in the U.S. since 1891, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #13518 as of the latest data. 2,826 babies were born in 1951, its single highest year.
When was Gayle most popular? ▼
Gayle was most popular in the 1950s decade with 23,727 total births. The single peak year was 1951.
Where is Gayle most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gayle are California (5,852 births), Ohio (4,130 births), Illinois (4,062 births).
Is Gayle a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Gayle is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 61,357 births, and as a boy's name it has 4,951 births.
How long has the name Gayle been used? ▼
Gayle has been recorded in Social Security data since 1891, spanning 134 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Gayle? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gay, Gayla, Gaye, Gaynell, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Gayle's data
- Gayle's decade-level peak was the 1950s (23,727 total births); usage has since declined to 30 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Gayles (5,852 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 Gayle
Nearby Names Like Gayle
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gayle
Gay Girl
17,985 births
Gayla Girl
10,838 births
Gaye Girl
5,746 births
Gaynell Girl
4,251 births
Gaylene Girl
2,570 births
Compare Gayle side by side: Gayle vs Gay Gayle vs Gayla Gayle vs Gaye
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gayle
Madalene #13517
1,426 births · Peak 1919
Idabelle #13519
613 births · Peak 1918
Mackie #13516
597 births · Peak 1936
Jose #13520
4,220 births · Peak 1990
Versie #13515
2,598 births · Peak 1914
Marea #13521
620 births · Peak 1972
Zela #13514
609 births · Peak 1916
Sevilla #13522
260 births · Peak 1915
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, 1891–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gayle: #13518 Unisex Name - 61,357 Births, Peak 1951." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gayle. 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 Gayle 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.