Is Gay a boy or girl name?
Gay was mostly a girl name in the US. Across 1880–2024, 92.9% of the 19,367 US babies named Gay were girls. Fewer than 10 babies were given the name in 2024.
- Boy rank, 2024
- Not ranked
- Girl rank, 2024
- Not ranked
- Babies named Gay since 1883
- 19,367
- Most popular year
- 1959
- 692 babies
Boys and girls named Gay, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 19 | 41 | 68.3% |
| 1890s | 46 | 160 | 77.7% |
| 1900s | 16 | 183 | 92% |
| 1910s | 164 | 483 | 74.7% |
| 1920s | 258 | 745 | 74.3% |
| 1930s | 300 | 2,587 | 89.6% |
| 1940s | 276 | 4,329 | 94% |
| 1950s | 205 | 5,654 | 96.5% |
| 1960s | 74 | 3,409 | 97.9% |
| 1970s | 24 | 388 | 94.2% |
| 1980s | 0 | 6 | 100% |
| 1990s | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000s | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010s | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020s | 0 | 0 | – |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2023 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 0 | – | 6 | #9,597 |
| 1981 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – | 10 | #6,346 |
| 1978 | 0 | – | 8 | #7,161 |
| 1977 | 0 | – | 13 | #5,019 |
| 1976 | 0 | – | 16 | #4,019 |
| 1975 | 0 | – | 30 | #2,577 |
| 1974 | 6 | #4,850 | 30 | #2,517 |
| 1973 | 0 | – | 22 | #3,050 |
| 1972 | 6 | #4,626 | 59 | #1,570 |
| 1971 | 5 | #5,188 | 78 | #1,368 |
| 1970 | 7 | #3,990 | 122 | #1,019 |
| 1969 | 6 | #4,112 | 127 | #945 |
| 1968 | 6 | #3,859 | 169 | #768 |
| 1967 | 5 | #4,179 | 178 | #735 |
| 1966 | 9 | #2,857 | 235 | #620 |
| 1965 | 7 | #3,354 | 302 | #547 |
| 1964 | 7 | #3,399 | 350 | #526 |
| 1963 | 8 | #3,152 | 381 | #497 |
| 1962 | 6 | #3,783 | 445 | #462 |
| 1961 | 8 | #3,191 | 596 | #396 |
| 1960 | 12 | #2,466 | 626 | #381 |
| 1959 | 10 | #2,713 | 682 | #362 |
| 1958 | 13 | #2,304 | 488 | #425 |
| 1957 | 13 | #2,308 | 584 | #374 |
| 1956 | 26 | #1,549 | 528 | #389 |
| 1955 | 14 | #2,170 | 496 | #395 |
| 1954 | 25 | #1,536 | 632 | #338 |
| 1953 | 26 | #1,490 | 579 | #350 |
| 1952 | 19 | #1,768 | 643 | #318 |
| 1951 | 35 | #1,249 | 541 | #342 |
| 1950 | 24 | #1,512 | 481 | #359 |
| 1949 | 23 | #1,557 | 488 | #356 |
| 1948 | 39 | #1,150 | 472 | #358 |
| 1947 | 25 | #1,497 | 542 | #340 |
| 1946 | 19 | #1,661 | 485 | #335 |
| 1945 | 31 | #1,190 | 395 | #345 |
| 1944 | 26 | #1,317 | 397 | #344 |
| 1943 | 24 | #1,441 | 487 | #315 |
| 1942 | 28 | #1,321 | 388 | #354 |
| 1941 | 42 | #994 | 367 | #343 |
| 1940 | 19 | #1,592 | 308 | #378 |
| 1939 | 35 | #1,092 | 338 | #346 |
| 1938 | 30 | #1,205 | 323 | #363 |
| 1937 | 27 | #1,293 | 340 | #345 |
| 1936 | 31 | #1,193 | 319 | #354 |
| 1935 | 32 | #1,177 | 266 | #394 |
| 1934 | 28 | #1,281 | 236 | #427 |
| 1933 | 26 | #1,317 | 227 | #429 |
| 1932 | 29 | #1,273 | 217 | #449 |
| 1931 | 27 | #1,345 | 166 | #501 |
| 1930 | 35 | #1,201 | 155 | #548 |
| 1929 | 30 | #1,304 | 114 | #653 |
| 1928 | 30 | #1,336 | 91 | #745 |
| 1927 | 28 | #1,419 | 82 | #805 |
| 1926 | 23 | #1,584 | 80 | #818 |
| 1925 | 30 | #1,341 | 82 | #822 |
| 1924 | 29 | #1,391 | 59 | #996 |
| 1923 | 17 | #1,974 | 69 | #886 |
| 1922 | 19 | #1,846 | 55 | #1,015 |
| 1921 | 25 | #1,523 | 56 | #1,008 |
| 1920 | 27 | #1,437 | 57 | #971 |
| 1919 | 17 | #1,914 | 67 | #852 |
| 1918 | 15 | #2,105 | 64 | #897 |
| 1917 | 27 | #1,345 | 74 | #801 |
| 1916 | 25 | #1,392 | 68 | #820 |
| 1915 | 22 | #1,476 | 59 | #852 |
| 1914 | 15 | #1,634 | 42 | #906 |
| 1913 | 15 | #1,393 | 34 | #917 |
| 1912 | 13 | #1,382 | 26 | #1,014 |
| 1911 | 6 | #1,611 | 23 | #912 |
| 1910 | 9 | #1,146 | 26 | #849 |
| 1909 | 0 | – | 26 | #801 |
| 1908 | 0 | – | 20 | #893 |
| 1907 | 5 | #1,409 | 25 | #753 |
| 1906 | 5 | #1,308 | 15 | #977 |
| 1905 | 0 | – | 15 | #982 |
| 1904 | 0 | – | 16 | #918 |
| 1903 | 6 | #1,062 | 18 | #820 |
| 1902 | 0 | – | 17 | #855 |
| 1901 | 0 | – | 13 | #936 |
| 1900 | 0 | – | 18 | #894 |
| 1899 | 7 | #892 | 26 | #610 |
| 1898 | 0 | – | 15 | #898 |
| 1897 | 5 | #1,125 | 13 | #909 |
| 1896 | 7 | #929 | 16 | #821 |
| 1895 | 0 | – | 10 | #1,082 |
| 1894 | 7 | #898 | 17 | #724 |
| 1893 | 0 | – | 17 | #728 |
| 1892 | 6 | #1,004 | 18 | #696 |
| 1891 | 6 | #888 | 12 | #813 |
| 1890 | 8 | #773 | 16 | #677 |
| 1889 | 0 | – | 12 | #770 |
| 1888 | 8 | #777 | 14 | #700 |
| 1887 | 0 | – | 10 | #756 |
| 1886 | 6 | #892 | 5 | #1,175 |
| 1885 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1884 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1883 | 5 | #951 | 0 | – |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Gay reached #773 in 1890. As a girl name, it reached #315 in 1943. Ranks count every name SSA published for that year and sex, so they go well past the top 1,000.
Names from the same era
These names were also most popular in the 1950s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Gay
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2024. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.