Zay
Boy name · #3642 in 2025 · Uniqueness 56/100
Zay is currently the #3642 boy name in the United States — 31 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #12086, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 58,065 boys born in 2025 was named Zay.
Babies named Zay per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 19-year story
Zay first appears in the Social Security records in 2006, when 7 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 46 babies and a rank of #2789. 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 Zay against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Zay in class?
Zay scores 56 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Zay is most common
State-level data for Zay is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Zay
Statistically, parents drawn to Zay tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Ilay, Kenay, Zeal, Shivay, and Anvay.
IlayKenayZealShivayAnvayAvyayAmayZuko
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Zay | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 31 | #3583 |
| 2024 | 46 | #2789 |
| 2023 | 34 | #3416 |
| 2022 | 37 | #3216 |
| 2021 | 15 | #5776 |
| 2020 | 18 | #5041 |
| 2019 | 28 | #3794 |
| 2018 | 19 | #4918 |
| 2017 | 15 | #5788 |
| 2016 | 6 | #10744 |
| 2015 | 5 | #12086 |
| 2014 | 10 | #7562 |
| 2013 | 8 | #8789 |
| 2012 | 7 | #9709 |
| 2011 | 11 | #7009 |
| 2010 | 5 | #12231 |
| 2006 | 7 | #9585 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Zay a popular boy name?
Zay ranked #3642 among boys in 2025 with 31 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #12086.
When was the name Zay most popular?
Zay peaked in 2024, when 46 American boys received the name (ranked #2789 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Zay?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 58,065 newborn American boys was named Zay. It scores 56/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.