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.
- #523 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 61,357
- born since 1891
- 1950s
- peak decade
Gayle sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 61,357 recorded since 1891.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gayle has been recorded 61,357 times among girls since 1891, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, 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.
- #523 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 61,357 born since 1891
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gayle ranks #523 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 61,357 born since 1891, peaking in the 1950s.
- #523 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 61,357
- born since 1891
- 1950s
- peak decade
Gayle's 61,357 recorded births place it above 99.27% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
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 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
1950s is the heaviest window (23,727 births, 39% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Gayle sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Gayle most popular? ▼
Where is Gayle most popular? ▼
Is Gayle a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Gayle been used? ▼
What names are similar to Gayle? ▼
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
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
Compare Gayle side by side: Gayle vs Gay Gayle vs Gayla Gayle 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 Gayle: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1951)
Similar record span (~133 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, 1891–2024 (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 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 August 2026.