Fay
Girl name · #3780 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Fay? In official American birth records, Fay has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Fay is currently the #3780 girl name in the United States — 39 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #5288, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 46,154 girls born in 2025 was named Fay.
The 145-year story
Fay first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 13 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1926, when 722 girls were named Fay — good for #243 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Fay per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Fay against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Fay in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Fay is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Fay will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Fay is most common
State-level data for Fay is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Fay
Statistically, parents drawn to Fay tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kay, Ora, Wilma, Rhoda, and Ina.
KayOraWilmaRhodaInaFannieFriedaDolly
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Fay | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 39 | #3780 |
| 2024 | 46 | #3395 |
| 2023 | 34 | #4191 |
| 2022 | 38 | #3893 |
| 2021 | 43 | #3553 |
| 2020 | 33 | #4169 |
| 2019 | 38 | #3851 |
| 2018 | 39 | #3789 |
| 2017 | 26 | #5045 |
| 2016 | 45 | #3464 |
| 2015 | 25 | #5288 |
| 2014 | 34 | #4269 |
| 2013 | 26 | #5143 |
| 2012 | 30 | #4707 |
| 2011 | 26 | #5207 |
| 2010 | 22 | #5977 |
| 2009 | 26 | #5378 |
| 2008 | 20 | #6559 |
| 2007 | 26 | #5377 |
| 2006 | 27 | #5086 |
| 2005 | 16 | #7138 |
| 2004 | 25 | #5062 |
| 2003 | 25 | #4943 |
| 2002 | 23 | #5086 |
| 2001 | 17 | #6322 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Fay?
In official American birth records, the name Fay first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 13 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Fay a popular girl name?
Fay ranked #3780 among girls in 2025 with 39 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #5288.
When was the name Fay most popular?
Fay peaked in 1926, when 722 American girls received the name (ranked #243 that year). Since 1926 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Fay?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 46,154 newborn American girls was named Fay. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.