Total births
937
Girls' name · since 1940
Marykay
937 babies named Marykay in U.S. Social Security records since 1940, with the highest year being 1961. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #12299
- among girls today
- 937
- born since 1940
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 31%
- more common than other girls
Marykay currently ranks #12299 among girls' names in America, with 937 babies recorded since 1940.
Marykay has 937 recorded births among girls since 1940, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #12299 as of the latest data, more common than 31% of girls, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1940 to 2024.
- #12299 among girls today
- 937 born since 1940
- 1960s peak decade
- 31% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Marykay is currently the #12299 girls' name in America, more common than 31% of girls - 937 born since 1940, peaking in the 1960s.
- #12299
- among girls today
- 937
- born since 1940
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 31%
- more common than other girls
Marykay vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#12299
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 31% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
47% of everyone ever named Marykay was born in this single decade.
1961
Single peak year
72 babies were named Marykay in 1961 - its busiest year on record.
How Marykay compares
937 Top 33% higher than 67% 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
Marykay's all-time total is 145% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marykay | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 937 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 72 | 48 | 19,840 |
Marykay's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Marykay's SSA record in two at 1968 and the more recent half accounts for 26% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 74%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1941, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1961 peak of 72, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Marykay at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1961
Current rank
#12,299
Active since
1940
Marykay popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1940–2024
- Peak year (1961)
- 72
- Annual births at peak, across 85 years of records
Marykay by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Marykay's strongest decade.
444 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 47% of all-time use.
Marykay births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 93
1940s
93 births
- 1950s
1950s
195 births
- 1960s
1960s
444 births
- 1970s 104
1970s
104 births
- 1980s 32
1980s
32 births
- 1990s 25
1990s
25 births
- 2000s 15
2000s
15 births
- 2010s 7
2010s
7 births
- 2020s 22
2020s
22 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 444 births (47% of all-time use).
How Marykay 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 Marykay's total volume
Marykay vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Marykay by state
Where Marykay concentrates geographically, total births since 1940
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 75 | 8.0% |
| #2 | New York | | 51 | 5.4% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 50 | 5.3% |
| #4 | Minnesota | | 35 | 3.7% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 26 | 2.8% |
| #6 | Wisconsin | | 25 | 2.7% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 11 | 1.2% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 7 | 0.7% |
Pennsylvania share of Marykay's total US births 8.0%
Even split
75 of 937 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 8 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Marykay? ▼
937 babies have been named Marykay since 1940. It currently ranks #12299 among girls. The peak year was 1961 with 72 births.
When was Marykay most popular? ▼
Marykay was most popular in the 1960s decade with 444 total births. The single peak year was 1961.
Where is Marykay most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Marykay are Pennsylvania (75 births), New York (51 births), Illinois (50 births).
How long has the name Marykay been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Marykay since 1940 -- 85 years through the most recent 2024 data.
What names are similar to Marykay? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mary, Margaret, Maria, Martha, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Marykay's data
- Marykay's decade-level peak was the 1960s (444 total births); usage has since declined to 22 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Marykays (75 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania 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 Marykay
Nearby Names Like Marykay
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marykay
Mary Girl
#131 4,141,481 births
Margaret Girl
#119 1,264,774 births
Maria Girl
#74 566,111 births
Martha Girl
#666 551,741 births
Marie Girl
#632 540,077 births
Compare Marykay side by side: Marykay vs Mary Marykay vs Margaret Marykay vs Maria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marykay
Kristi #12298
76,484 births · Peak 1971
Susy #12300
1,217 births · Peak 1962
Zorina #12297
204 births · Peak 1968
Christi #12301
20,910 births · Peak 1974
Emalie #12296
1,167 births · Peak 2006
Kristie #12302
38,361 births · Peak 1974
Bari #12295
1,806 births · Peak 1960
Veralyn #12303
146 births · Peak 1946
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, 1940–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Marykay: #12299 Girls' Name - 937 Births, Peak 1961." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/marykay. 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 Marykay 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.