Total births
740
Boys' name · since 1880
Hays
740 babies named Hays in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2024. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4204
- among boys today
- 740
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other boys
740 babies have been named Hays since 1880, making it today's #4204 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Hays has been recorded 740 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #4204 nationally and more common than 71% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #4204 among boys today
- 740 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 71% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Hays is currently the #4204 boys' name in America, more common than 71% of boys - 740 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #4204
- among boys today
- 740
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other boys
Hays vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4204
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 71% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Hays was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
25 babies were named Hays in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Hays compares
740 Top 36% higher than 64% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Hays's all-time total is 102% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Hays | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 740 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 25 | 23 | 22,252 |
Hays's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Hays's SSA record in two at 1959 and the more recent half accounts for 58% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 42%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2024 peak of 25, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Hays at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2024
Current rank
#4,204
Active since
1880
Hays popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 25
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Hays popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 2023 (Hays as girls' name)
Hays by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Hays's strongest decade.
153 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Hays births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1900s 12
1900s
12 births
- 1910s
1910s
83 births
- 1920s
1920s
105 births
- 1930s 43
1930s
43 births
- 1940s 45
1940s
45 births
- 1950s 24
1950s
24 births
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1970s 17
1970s
17 births
- 1980s 25
1980s
25 births
- 1990s 20
1990s
20 births
- 2000s
2000s
82 births
- 2010s
2010s
153 births
- 2020s
2020s
121 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 153 births (21% of all-time use).
How Hays compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Hays's total volume
Hays vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Hays by state
Where Hays concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Hays? ▼
740 babies have been named Hays since 1880. It currently ranks #4204 among boys. The peak year was 2024 with 25 births.
When was Hays most popular? ▼
Hays was most popular in the 2010s decade with 153 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
Where is Hays most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Hays are Texas (63 births), Arkansas (5 births).
How long has the name Hays been used? ▼
Hays has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Hays? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Hayden, Hayes, Haywood, Hayward, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Hays's data
- Hays's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (153 total births) through the 2020s (121) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Hayss (63 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Hays
Nearby Names Like Hays
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Hays
Hayden Boy
#154 114,084 births
Hayes Boy
#160 20,925 births
Haywood Boy
#6472 6,541 births
Hayward Boy
#10963 5,064 births
Haydn Boy
#5937 1,845 births
Compare Hays side by side: Hays vs Hayden Hays vs Hayes Hays vs Haywood
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Hays
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Hays: #4204 Boys' Name - 740 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/hays. 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 Hays 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.