Total births
397
Boys' name · since 1914
Quay
397 babies named Quay in U.S. Social Security records since 1914, with the highest year being 1971. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #9971
- among boys today
- 397
- born since 1914
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 30%
- more common than other boys
Quay currently ranks #9971 among boys' names in America, with 397 babies recorded since 1914.
Quay has 397 recorded births among boys since 1914, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #9971 as of the latest data, more common than 30% of boys, busiest in the 1930s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 2024.
- #9971 among boys today
- 397 born since 1914
- 1930s peak decade
- 30% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Quay is currently the #9971 boys' name in America, more common than 30% of boys - 397 born since 1914, peaking in the 1930s.
- #9971
- among boys today
- 397
- born since 1914
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 30%
- more common than other boys
Quay vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#9971
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 30% of names given to boys today.
1930s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Quay was born in this single decade.
1971
Single peak year
14 babies were named Quay in 1971 - its busiest year on record.
How Quay compares
397 Top 48% higher than 52% 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
Quay's all-time total is 8% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Quay | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 397 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 14 | 23 | 22,252 |
Quay's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Quay splits its recorded history at 1973: 49% of all births land in the more recent half, 51% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1916 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1971 peak of 14 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Quay at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1971
Current rank
#9,971
Active since
1914
Quay popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2024
- Peak year (1971)
- 14
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Quay popularity over time - girls
15 total births recorded since 1934 (Quay as girls' name)
Quay by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Quay's strongest decade.
60 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Quay births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
35 births
- 1920s
1920s
43 births
- 1930s
1930s
60 births
- 1940s 14
1940s
14 births
- 1950s 13
1950s
13 births
- 1960s 17
1960s
17 births
- 1970s
1970s
33 births
- 1980s
1980s
34 births
- 1990s
1990s
51 births
- 2000s
2000s
31 births
- 2010s
2010s
26 births
- 2020s
2020s
40 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 60 births (15% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Quay? ▼
Since 1914, Social Security records show 397 babies named Quay. Today it holds rank #9971 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1971, with 14 births.
When was Quay most popular? ▼
Quay was most popular in the 1930s decade with 60 total births. The single peak year was 1971.
How long has the name Quay been used? ▼
Quay has been recorded in Social Security data since 1914, spanning 111 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Quay? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Quadir, Quan, Quade, Quaid, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Quay's data
- Quay's usage has stayed within range of its 1930s decade-level peak (60 total births) through the 2020s (40) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- 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 Quay
Nearby Names Like Quay
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Quay
Quadir Boy
#2178 1,964 births
Quan Boy
#6557 1,425 births
Quade Boy
#2251 1,407 births
Quaid Boy
#5972 914 births
Quang Boy
733 births
Compare Quay side by side: Quay vs Quadir Quay vs Quan Quay vs Quade
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Quay
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, 1914–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Quay: #9971 Boys' Name - 397 Births, Peak 1971." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/quay. 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 Quay 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.