Total births
98,621
Girls' name · since 1885
Kay
Since 1885, U.S. Social Security records show 98,621 babies named Kay, peaking in 1942. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3897
- among girls today
- 98,621
- born since 1885
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other girls
Kay currently ranks #3897 among girls' names in America, with 98,621 babies recorded since 1885.
Kay has 98,621 recorded births among girls since 1885, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #3897 as of the latest data, more common than 78% of girls, busiest in the 1940s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1885 to 2025.
- #3897 among girls today
- 98,621 born since 1885
- 1940s peak decade
- 78% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kay is currently the #3897 girls' name in America, more common than 78% of girls - 98,621 born since 1885, peaking in the 1940s.
- #3897
- among girls today
- 98,621
- born since 1885
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other girls
Kay vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3897
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 78% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Kay was born in this single decade.
1942
Single peak year
3,622 babies were named Kay in 1942 - its busiest year on record.
How Kay compares
98,621 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Kay's all-time total is 258x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kay | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 98,621 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 3,622 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kay's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kay splits its recorded history at 1955: 30% of all births land in the more recent half, 70% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1890 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1942 peak of 3,622 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kay at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1942
Current rank
#3,897
Active since
1885
Kay popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1885–2025
- Peak year (1942)
- 3,622
- Annual births at peak, across 141 years of records
Kay popularity over time - boys
3,924 total births recorded since 1882 (Kay as boys' name)
Kay by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Kay's strongest decade.
32,654 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Kay births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 31
1880s
31 births
- 1890s 122
1890s
122 births
- 1900s 452
1900s
452 births
- 1910s 2,173
1910s
2,173 births
- 1920s 2,665
1920s
2,665 births
- 1930s
1930s
17,301 births
- 1940s
1940s
32,654 births
- 1950s
1950s
24,645 births
- 1960s 12,390
1960s
12,390 births
- 1970s 2,517
1970s
2,517 births
- 1980s 1,409
1980s
1,409 births
- 1990s 869
1990s
869 births
- 2000s 635
2000s
635 births
- 2010s 504
2010s
504 births
- 2020s 254
2020s
254 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 32,654 births (33% of all-time use).
How Kay 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 Kay's total volume
Kay vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kay by state
Where Kay concentrates geographically, total births since 1885
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 6,871 | 7.0% |
| #2 | Michigan | | 6,448 | 6.5% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 6,213 | 6.3% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 5,808 | 5.9% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 5,638 | 5.7% |
| #6 | California | | 4,969 | 5.0% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 4,950 | 5.0% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 3,507 | 3.6% |
Texas share of Kay's total US births 7.0%
Even split
6,871 of 98,621 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Kay appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kay? ▼
Kay has been given to 98,621 babies in the U.S. since 1885, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #3897 as of the latest data. 3,622 babies were born in 1942, its single highest year.
When was Kay most popular? ▼
Kay was most popular in the 1940s decade with 32,654 total births. The single peak year was 1942.
Where is Kay most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kay are Texas (6,871 births), Michigan (6,448 births), Ohio (6,213 births).
How long has the name Kay been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kay since 1885 -- 141 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Kay? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kayla, Kaylee, Kayleigh, Kaylie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kay's data
- Kay's decade-level peak was the 1940s (32,654 total births); usage has since declined to 254 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Kays (6,871 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 Kay
Nearby Names Like Kay
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kay
Kayla Girl
#337 346,570 births
Kaylee Girl
#220 140,425 births
Kayleigh Girl
#731 34,561 births
Kaylie Girl
#1239 22,101 births
Kaylin Girl
#1426 19,307 births
Compare Kay side by side: Kay vs Kayla Kay vs Kaylee Kay vs Kayleigh
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kay
Amalie #3896
1,461 births · Peak 2011
Unknown #3898
9,826 births · Peak 1954
Jodie #3895
27,442 births · Peak 1970
Evelyne #3899
4,177 births · Peak 1922
Dinah #3894
10,509 births · Peak 1955
Venice #3900
2,946 births · Peak 1921
Celestia #3893
1,414 births · Peak 2025
Tirzah #3901
2,095 births · Peak 2017
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, 1885–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kay: #3897 Girls' Name - 98,621 Births, Peak 1942." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kay. 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 Kay 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.