Total births
28
Unisex name · since 1918
Lay
Since 1918, U.S. Social Security records show 28 babies named Lay, peaking in 2016. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 28
- total births
- 1918–2016
- years on record
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 43%
- born in that decade
Lay sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 28 recorded since 1918.
Social Security Administration records show Lay recorded 28 times among boys since 1918, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1918 to 2016.
- 28 total births
- 1918–2016 years on record
- 2010s peak decade
- 43% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
28 boys have been named Lay since 1918, peaking in the 2010s, last recorded in 2016.
- 28
- total births
- 1918–2016
- years on record
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 43%
- born in that decade
2010s
Peak decade
43% of everyone ever named Lay was born in this single decade.
2016
Single peak year
7 babies were named Lay in 2016 - its busiest year on record.
Lay's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Lay's full recorded timeline at 1926, 61% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 39% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1923, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2016 peak of 7 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Lay at a glance
Last recorded 2016Peak year
2016
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1918
Lay popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1918–2016
- Peak year (2016)
- 7
- Annual births at peak, across 99 years of records
Lay popularity over time - girls
12 total births recorded since 2014 (Lay as girls' name)
Lay by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Lay's strongest decade.
12 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 43% of all-time use.
Lay births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
6 births
- 1920s
1920s
10 births
- 2010s
2010s
12 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 12 births (43% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lay? ▼
Lay has been given to 28 babies in the U.S. since 1918, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2016. 7 babies were born in 2016, its single highest year.
When was Lay most popular? ▼
Lay was most popular in the 2010s decade with 12 total births. The single peak year was 2016.
Is Lay a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Lay is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 28 births, and as a girl's name it has 12 births.
How long has the name Lay been used? ▼
Lay has been recorded in Social Security data since 1918, spanning 99 years of data through 2016.
What names are similar to Lay? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Layne, Layton, Layden, Layth, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
Keep exploring Lay
Nearby Names Like Lay
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lay
Layne Boy
#696 14,355 births
Layton Boy
#693 12,156 births
Layden Boy
#3320 1,131 births
Layth Boy
#2335 901 births
Laymon Boy
779 births
Compare Lay side by side: Lay vs Layne Lay vs Layton Lay vs Layden
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1918–2016 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lay: Baby Name Since 1918 - 28 Births, Peak 2016." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lay. 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 Lay 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 July 2026.