Hayes
Boy name · #163 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Hayes? In official American birth records, Hayes has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Hayes ranks #163 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 2,240 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #539, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 804 boys born in 2025 was named Hayes.
Babies named Hayes per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Hayes first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 8 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 2,255 babies and a rank of #160. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Hayes against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Hayes in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Hayes is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Hayes is most common
Geography matters for names, and Hayes is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Hayes is most common in WY (9.2 per 1,000), ND (6.9 per 1,000), MT (5.8 per 1,000), NE (4.8 per 1,000), SD (4.7 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.5 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Hayes is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Hayes
Statistically, parents drawn to Hayes tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Ares, Matias, Myles, Adonis, and Elian.
AresMatiasMylesAdonisElianEllisArloWells
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Hayes | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,240 | #162 |
| 2024 | 2,255 | #160 |
| 2023 | 1,755 | #209 |
| 2022 | 1,775 | #212 |
| 2021 | 1,606 | #229 |
| 2020 | 1,451 | #245 |
| 2019 | 1,165 | #296 |
| 2018 | 973 | #343 |
| 2017 | 766 | #408 |
| 2016 | 717 | #432 |
| 2015 | 531 | #539 |
| 2014 | 504 | #546 |
| 2013 | 418 | #605 |
| 2012 | 340 | #695 |
| 2011 | 289 | #777 |
| 2010 | 215 | #936 |
| 2009 | 211 | #953 |
| 2008 | 144 | #1223 |
| 2007 | 146 | #1206 |
| 2006 | 134 | #1249 |
| 2005 | 108 | #1381 |
| 2004 | 79 | #1629 |
| 2003 | 91 | #1438 |
| 2002 | 76 | #1596 |
| 2001 | 61 | #1816 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Hayes?
In official American birth records, the name Hayes first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 8 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Hayes a popular boy name?
Hayes ranked #163 among boys in 2025 with 2,240 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #539.
When was the name Hayes most popular?
Hayes peaked in 2024, when 2,255 American boys received the name (ranked #160 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Hayes?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 804 newborn American boys was named Hayes. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.