Jay
Boy name · #392 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Jay? In official American birth records, Jay has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Jay ranks #392 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 809 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #393, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,225 boys born in 2025 was named Jay.
Babies named Jay per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Jay first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 103 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1960, when 5,385 boys were named Jay — good for #78 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Jay against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Jay in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Jay is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Jay is most common
Geography matters for names, and Jay is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Jay is most common in UT (1.6 per 1,000), IA (1 per 1,000), IN (0.9 per 1,000), WA (0.7 per 1,000), MI (0.7 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.6 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Jay is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Jay
Statistically, parents drawn to Jay tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Ray, Joey, Jeffrey, Johnny, and Clay.
RayJoeyJeffreyJohnnyClayRoyTonyTroy
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Jay | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 809 | #392 |
| 2024 | 822 | #396 |
| 2023 | 837 | #381 |
| 2022 | 897 | #367 |
| 2021 | 864 | #377 |
| 2020 | 808 | #380 |
| 2019 | 848 | #373 |
| 2018 | 799 | #397 |
| 2017 | 859 | #382 |
| 2016 | 818 | #392 |
| 2015 | 806 | #393 |
| 2014 | 850 | #370 |
| 2013 | 767 | #389 |
| 2012 | 772 | #386 |
| 2011 | 718 | #397 |
| 2010 | 687 | #410 |
| 2009 | 719 | #408 |
| 2008 | 763 | #394 |
| 2007 | 752 | #396 |
| 2006 | 867 | #350 |
| 2005 | 852 | #348 |
| 2004 | 822 | #347 |
| 2003 | 810 | #344 |
| 2002 | 825 | #334 |
| 2001 | 888 | #313 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Jay?
In official American birth records, the name Jay first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 103 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Jay a popular boy name?
Jay ranked #392 among boys in 2025 with 809 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #393.
When was the name Jay most popular?
Jay peaked in 1960, when 5,385 American boys received the name (ranked #78 that year). Since 1960 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Jay?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,225 newborn American boys was named Jay. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.