Girls' name · since 1931
Gaylene
Since 1931, U.S. Social Security records show 2,570 babies named Gaylene, peaking in 1956. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3,970 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 2,570
- born since 1931
- 1950s
- peak decade
Gaylene is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 2,570 have been recorded since 1931.
Gaylene has 2,570 recorded births among girls since 1931, 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 1931 to 1995.
- #3,970 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 2,570 born since 1931
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gaylene ranks #3,970 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 2,570 born since 1931, peaking in the 1950s.
- #3,970 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 2,570
- born since 1931
- 1950s
- peak decade
Gaylene's 2,570 recorded births place it above 94.51% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
15 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
Gaylene's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Gaylene's full recorded timeline at 1959, 42% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 58% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1980, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1956 peak of 118 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Gaylene popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1931–1995
- Peak year (1956)
- 118
- Annual births at peak, across 65 years of records
Gaylene by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (896 births, 35% of the file).
1950s was Gaylene's strongest decade.
896 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Gaylene births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 207
1930s
207 births
- 1940s
1940s
496 births
- 1950s
1950s
896 births
- 1960s
1960s
716 births
- 1970s 215
1970s
215 births
- 1980s 30
1980s
30 births
- 1990s 10
1990s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 896 births (35% of all-time use).
How Gaylene 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 Gaylene's total volume
Gaylene by state
Where Gaylene concentrates geographically, total births since 1931
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 352 | 13.7% |
| #2 | Utah | | 182 | 7.1% |
| #3 | Nebraska | | 84 | 3.3% |
| #4 | Kansas | | 68 | 2.6% |
| #5 | Texas | | 58 | 2.3% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 40 | 1.6% |
| #7 | Colorado | | 37 | 1.4% |
| #8 | Idaho | | 26 | 1.0% |
352 of 2,570 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 15 reporting states.
Gaylene appears in 15 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gaylene? ▼
Where does Gaylene sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Gaylene most popular? ▼
Where is Gaylene most popular? ▼
How long has the name Gaylene been used? ▼
What names are similar to Gaylene? ▼
What to do with Gaylene's data
- Gaylene's decade-level peak was the 1950s (896 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Gaylenes (352 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 Gaylene
Nearby Names Like Gaylene
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gaylene
Compare Gaylene side by side: Gaylene vs Gayle Gaylene vs Gay Gaylene 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 Gaylene: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1956)
Similar record span (~64 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, 1931–1995 (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 Gaylene 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.