Total births
8,227
Unisex name · since 1953
Shay
8,227 babies named Shay in U.S. Social Security records since 1953, with the highest year being 2022. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1157
- among girls today
- 8,227
- born since 1953
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
8,227 babies have been named Shay since 1953, making it today's #1157 unisex name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shay has been recorded 8,227 times among girls since 1953, currently ranked #1157 nationally and more common than 93% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1953 to 2025.
- #1157 among girls today
- 8,227 born since 1953
- 2020s peak decade
- 93% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shay is currently the #1157 unisex name in America, more common than 93% of girls - 8,227 born since 1953, peaking in the 2020s.
- #1157
- among girls today
- 8,227
- born since 1953
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Shay vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1157
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 93% of names given to girls today.
2020s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Shay was born in this single decade.
2022
Single peak year
301 babies were named Shay in 2022 - its busiest year on record.
How Shay compares
8,227 Top 10% higher than 90% 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
Shay's all-time total is 22x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shay | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 8,227 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 301 | 48 | 19,840 |
Shay's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shay's full recorded timeline at 1989, 71% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 29% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1955, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2022 peak of 301 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shay at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2022
Current rank
#1,157
Active since
1953
Shay popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1953–2025
- Peak year (2022)
- 301
- Annual births at peak, across 73 years of records
Shay popularity over time - boys
5,024 total births recorded since 1932 (Shay as boys' name)
Shay by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Shay's strongest decade.
1,525 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Shay births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 55
1950s
55 births
- 1960s 275
1960s
275 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,086 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,067 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,449 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,323 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,447 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,525 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 1,525 births (19% of all-time use).
How Shay 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 Shay's total volume
Shay vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shay by state
Where Shay concentrates geographically, total births since 1953
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 883 | 10.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 613 | 7.5% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 305 | 3.7% |
| #4 | New York | | 300 | 3.6% |
| #5 | Florida | | 295 | 3.6% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 228 | 2.8% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 221 | 2.7% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 212 | 2.6% |
California share of Shay's total US births 10.7%
Even split
883 of 8,227 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Shay appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shay? ▼
Since 1953, Social Security records show 8,227 babies named Shay. Today it holds rank #1157 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2022, with 301 births.
When was Shay most popular? ▼
Shay was most popular in the 2020s decade with 1,525 total births. The single peak year was 2022.
Where is Shay most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shay are California (883 births), Texas (613 births), Illinois (305 births).
Is Shay a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Shay is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 8,227 births, and as a boy's name it has 5,024 births.
How long has the name Shay been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Shay since 1953 -- 73 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Shay? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sharon, Shannon, Shawna, Shari, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Shay's data
- California records the most Shays (883 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Shay
Nearby Names Like Shay
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shay
Sharon Girl
#1224 723,024 births
Shannon Girl
#1874 295,782 births
Shawna Girl
#6004 45,531 births
Shari Girl
#13636 40,927 births
Shawn Girl
#7307 33,055 births
Compare Shay side by side: Shay vs Sharon Shay vs Shannon Shay vs Shawna
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shay
Carmela #1156
24,506 births · Peak 1923
Averi #1158
7,909 births · Peak 2015
Xolani #1155
1,039 births · Peak 2024
Grecia #1159
6,318 births · Peak 2006
Elara #1154
1,790 births · Peak 2025
Carolyn #1160
556,777 births · Peak 1947
Angeline #1153
36,874 births · Peak 1921
Clarissa #1161
40,484 births · Peak 1995
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, 1953–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shay: #1157 Unisex Name - 8,227 Births, Peak 2022." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shay. 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 Shay 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.