Hayes
Hayes was given to 2,240 boys in 2025, #162 among boys’ names; 21,886 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 20,200 Americans named Hayes and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (92% of everyone recorded); the median is 6 years old and half are between 3 and 10.
Hayes came back: it left the boys’ top 1,000 after 1931 and returned in 2009.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Hayes by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Hayes mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Hayes is “a male given name transferred from the surname.” Its etymology gives the senses “brushwood” (hæs) and “enclosure” (hay) and “descendant of Aodh” (hAodha).
*As an English locational surname, from Old English hæs (“brushwood”) and Middle English hay (“enclosure”), heye. *As an Irish surname, from Ó hAodha (“descendant of Aodh”).
/heɪz/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Hayes?
#162 among boys’ names, 2025
Hayes rose from #539 in 2015 to #162 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 0.28 to 1.3 per 1,000.
2,327 babies in 2025, the peak
Hayes peaked in 2025, when 2,327 babies were given it (2,240 boys, #162 among boys’ names). In 2024 it went to 2,255 boys.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,240 | #162 | 1.3 |
| 2024 | 2,255 | #160 | 1.3 |
| 2023 | 1,755 | #209 | 1.0 |
| 2022 | 1,775 | #212 | 1.0 |
| 2021 | 1,606 | #229 | 0.92 |
| 2020 | 1,451 | #245 | 0.84 |
| 2019 | 1,165 | #296 | 0.65 |
| 2018 | 973 | #343 | 0.54 |
| 2017 | 766 | #408 | 0.41 |
| 2016 | 717 | #432 | 0.38 |
Every recorded year (142)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 531 | #539 | 0.28 |
| 2014 | 504 | #546 | 0.26 |
| 2013 | 418 | #605 | 0.22 |
| 2012 | 340 | #697 | 0.18 |
| 2011 | 289 | #778 | 0.15 |
| 2010 | 215 | #937 | 0.11 |
| 2009 | 211 | #954 | 0.11 |
| 2008 | 144 | #1,223 | 0.07 |
| 2007 | 146 | #1,210 | 0.07 |
| 2006 | 134 | #1,250 | 0.07 |
| 2005 | 108 | #1,383 | 0.05 |
| 2004 | 79 | #1,634 | 0.04 |
| 2003 | 91 | #1,438 | 0.05 |
| 2002 | 76 | #1,596 | 0.04 |
| 2001 | 61 | #1,826 | 0.03 |
| 2000 | 77 | #1,553 | 0.04 |
| 1999 | 55 | #1,805 | 0.03 |
| 1998 | 61 | #1,682 | 0.03 |
| 1997 | 51 | #1,841 | 0.03 |
| 1996 | 41 | #2,079 | 0.02 |
| 1995 | 49 | #1,785 | 0.03 |
| 1994 | 34 | #2,318 | 0.02 |
| 1993 | 27 | #2,652 | 0.01 |
| 1992 | 33 | #2,267 | 0.02 |
| 1991 | 31 | #2,307 | 0.02 |
| 1990 | 23 | #2,807 | 0.01 |
| 1989 | 16 | #3,508 | 0.01 |
| 1988 | 21 | #2,710 | 0.01 |
| 1987 | 23 | #2,418 | 0.01 |
| 1986 | 23 | #2,380 | 0.01 |
| 1985 | 16 | #2,998 | 0.01 |
| 1984 | 19 | #2,563 | 0.01 |
| 1983 | 20 | #2,443 | 0.01 |
| 1982 | 9 | #4,365 | under 0.01 |
| 1981 | 18 | #2,613 | 0.01 |
| 1980 | 17 | #2,770 | 0.01 |
| 1979 | 16 | #2,820 | 0.01 |
| 1978 | 16 | #2,719 | 0.01 |
| 1977 | 18 | #2,494 | 0.01 |
| 1976 | 20 | #2,275 | 0.01 |
| 1975 | 21 | #2,159 | 0.01 |
| 1974 | 19 | #2,225 | 0.01 |
| 1973 | 22 | #1,948 | 0.01 |
| 1972 | 30 | #1,578 | 0.02 |
| 1971 | 45 | #1,244 | 0.03 |
| 1970 | 18 | #2,158 | 0.01 |
| 1969 | 12 | #2,605 | 0.01 |
| 1968 | 12 | #2,492 | 0.01 |
| 1967 | 15 | #2,073 | 0.01 |
| 1966 | 15 | #2,082 | 0.01 |
| 1965 | 15 | #2,119 | 0.01 |
| 1964 | 18 | #1,928 | 0.01 |
| 1963 | 11 | #2,597 | 0.01 |
| 1962 | 22 | #1,726 | 0.01 |
| 1961 | 18 | #1,971 | 0.01 |
| 1960 | 29 | #1,500 | 0.01 |
| 1959 | 18 | #1,937 | 0.01 |
| 1958 | 18 | #1,924 | 0.01 |
| 1957 | 28 | #1,497 | 0.01 |
| 1956 | 21 | #1,740 | 0.01 |
| 1955 | 19 | #1,812 | 0.01 |
| 1954 | 26 | #1,509 | 0.01 |
| 1953 | 25 | #1,531 | 0.01 |
| 1952 | 31 | #1,357 | 0.02 |
| 1951 | 32 | #1,314 | 0.02 |
| 1950 | 32 | #1,275 | 0.02 |
| 1949 | 23 | #1,558 | 0.01 |
| 1948 | 37 | #1,180 | 0.02 |
| 1947 | 30 | #1,345 | 0.02 |
| 1946 | 34 | #1,204 | 0.02 |
| 1945 | 35 | #1,109 | 0.03 |
| 1944 | 29 | #1,245 | 0.02 |
| 1943 | 24 | #1,442 | 0.02 |
| 1942 | 34 | #1,202 | 0.02 |
| 1941 | 26 | #1,313 | 0.02 |
| 1940 | 29 | #1,261 | 0.03 |
| 1939 | 32 | #1,154 | 0.03 |
| 1938 | 31 | #1,181 | 0.03 |
| 1937 | 24 | #1,386 | 0.02 |
| 1936 | 24 | #1,372 | 0.02 |
| 1935 | 26 | #1,338 | 0.02 |
| 1934 | 27 | #1,303 | 0.03 |
| 1933 | 32 | #1,172 | 0.03 |
| 1932 | 27 | #1,340 | 0.03 |
| 1931 | 45 | #987 | 0.04 |
| 1930 | 30 | #1,315 | 0.03 |
| 1929 | 31 | #1,281 | 0.03 |
| 1928 | 30 | #1,337 | 0.03 |
| 1927 | 32 | #1,308 | 0.03 |
| 1926 | 42 | #1,101 | 0.04 |
| 1925 | 51 | #949 | 0.05 |
| 1924 | 37 | #1,196 | 0.03 |
| 1923 | 42 | #1,106 | 0.04 |
| 1922 | 49 | #1,012 | 0.05 |
| 1921 | 49 | #1,005 | 0.04 |
| 1920 | 37 | #1,191 | 0.03 |
| 1919 | 49 | #965 | 0.05 |
| 1918 | 37 | #1,137 | 0.04 |
| 1917 | 45 | #970 | 0.05 |
| 1916 | 35 | #1,106 | 0.04 |
| 1915 | 41 | #987 | 0.05 |
| 1914 | 37 | #904 | 0.06 |
| 1913 | 25 | #1,007 | 0.05 |
| 1912 | 15 | #1,241 | 0.03 |
| 1911 | 15 | #875 | 0.07 |
| 1910 | 12 | #952 | 0.06 |
| 1909 | 21 | #582 | 0.13 |
| 1908 | 12 | #798 | 0.08 |
| 1907 | 11 | #839 | 0.07 |
| 1906 | 12 | #728 | 0.09 |
| 1905 | 20 | #513 | 0.15 |
| 1904 | 7 | #1,012 | 0.05 |
| 1903 | 5 | #1,198 | 0.04 |
| 1902 | 12 | #666 | 0.10 |
| 1901 | 9 | #751 | 0.08 |
| 1900 | 15 | #658 | 0.10 |
| 1898 | 10 | #715 | 0.08 |
| 1897 | 8 | #820 | 0.07 |
| 1896 | 14 | #566 | 0.12 |
| 1895 | 8 | #826 | 0.07 |
| 1894 | 6 | #1,012 | 0.05 |
| 1893 | 8 | #792 | 0.07 |
| 1892 | 7 | #898 | 0.06 |
| 1891 | 7 | #802 | 0.07 |
| 1888 | 9 | #718 | 0.07 |
| 1887 | 6 | #865 | 0.06 |
| 1886 | 8 | #721 | 0.07 |
| 1885 | 13 | #530 | 0.12 |
| 1883 | 11 | #572 | 0.11 |
| 1882 | 7 | #793 | 0.06 |
| 1881 | 5 | #933 | 0.05 |
| 1880 | 8 | #708 | 0.07 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Hayes a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 21,886 Americans recorded as Hayes, 4% are girls and 96% boys. In 2025 it went to 87 girls and 2,240 boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Hayes: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Hayes, and how old are they?
20,200 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 92% of the 21,886 Americans ever recorded as Hayes. The median Hayes alive today is 6 years old; half are between 3 and 10.
The 2020 Census counted 8,856 people named Hayes (581 women and girls, 8,275 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 9,211 born in the U.S. The Census count is 4% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 102 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 302 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 275 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 396 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 2,250 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 16,800 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Hayes born?
The states with the most babies named Hayes are Texas, California and North Carolina, with 22% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 244 | #159 | 1.2× |
| California | 152 | #260 | 0.4× |
| North Carolina | 111 | #115 | 1.3× |
| Tennessee | 88 | #100 | 1.3× |
| Ohio | 83 | #164 | 0.8× |
| Utah | 81 | #50 | 2.0× |
| Georgia | 79 | #161 | 0.9× |
| Florida | 78 | #268 | 0.4× |
| Michigan | 70 | #146 | 0.6× |
| Louisiana | 63 | #67 | 2.4× |
Where Hayes is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Hayes is most over-represented in Louisiana: since 1910 it was given 2.4 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Hayes with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 2 names spelled alike, given to 22,631 babies since 1880, Hayes is the most given (97% of them). In 2025 it was given to 2,327 of their 2,344 babies (99%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Hayes
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Hayes and names like it
- Compare Hayes and HaysBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2020sHayes peaked in 2025.
- Texas’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Hayes since 1910.
- From surnamesWiktionary’s origin for Hayes: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 2025The year the most babies were named Hayes.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Hayes alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with HMost given first.