Boys' name · since 1880

Hoy

Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 825 babies named Hoy, peaking in 1923. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#5,796 of 45,481
all-time among boys
825
born since 1880
1920s
peak decade

Hoy is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 825 have been recorded since 1880.

Hoy has 825 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2022.

  • #5,796 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 825 born since 1880
  • 1920s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Hoy ranks #5,796 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 825 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.

#5,796 of 45,481
all-time among boys
825
born since 1880
1920s
peak decade
Above the archive median
All-time archive position

Hoy's 825 recorded births place it above 87.24% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

3 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by West Virginia.

Hoy's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Divide Hoy's SSA record in two at 1938 and the more recent half accounts for 36% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 64%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1882, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1923 peak of 36, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.

Hoy popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2022

Last recorded 2022
Peak year (1923)
36
Annual births at peak, across 143 years of records
010203040 188019141923193219411950196019742022 5

Hoy by decade

1920s is the heaviest window (215 births, 26% of the file).

1920s was Hoy's strongest decade.

215 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.

Hoy births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 215 births (26% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

How Hoy 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 Hoy's total volume

Hoy vs 15 similarly-sized boys names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%5%10%15% 050100150 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -33, 5.1%-34, 5.6%-49, 4.6%-38, 10%-35, 7.9%-20, 11%-51, 7.4%-44, 6.3%-41, 4.7%-36, 10.5%-40, 6.3%-54, 4%-14, 13.4%-54, 3.9%-75, 5.4%Hoy-143, 4.4%Hoy
Hoy vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Hoy by state

Where Hoy concentrates geographically, total births since 1880

Geographically diffuse
Top 3 states by recorded births for the name Hoy
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 West Virginia
50 6.1%
#2 Kentucky
32 3.9%
#3 Arkansas
6 0.7%
West Virginia share of Hoy's total US births 6.1%
Even split

50 of 825 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Hoy?
Since 1880, Social Security records show 825 babies named Hoy. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #5,796 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 2022. Its busiest year on record was 1923, with 36 births.
Where does Hoy sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Hoy ranks #5,796 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Hoy most popular?
Hoy was most popular in the 1920s decade with 215 total births. The single peak year was 1923.
Where is Hoy most popular?
The top states for the name Hoy are West Virginia (50 births), Kentucky (32 births), Arkansas (6 births).
How long has the name Hoy been used?
The SSA has tracked Hoy since 1880 -- 143 years through the most recent 2022 data.
What names are similar to Hoy?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Hoyt, Hoyle, Hoyte, Hoye, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Hoy's data

  • Hoy's decade-level peak was the 1920s (215 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • West Virginia records the most Hoys (50 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. West Virginia names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Hoy

Nearby Names Like Hoy

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Hoy

Names with a similar number of total births

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Hoy: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1880–2022 (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 Hoy 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.