Is Kay a boy or girl name?
Kay is used for both, more often for girls in the US. In 2024, 38 girls and 14 boys were named Kay, so 73.1% were girls. Across 1880–2024, 96.2% of the 102,497 US babies named Kay were girls.
- Boy rank, 2024
- #6,303
- Girl rank, 2024
- #3,912
- Babies named Kay since 1882
- 102,497
- Most popular year
- 1942
- 3,719 babies
Boys and girls named Kay, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 11 | 31 | 73.8% |
| 1890s | 16 | 122 | 88.4% |
| 1900s | 39 | 452 | 92.1% |
| 1910s | 292 | 2,173 | 88.2% |
| 1920s | 760 | 2,665 | 77.8% |
| 1930s | 1,306 | 17,301 | 93% |
| 1940s | 725 | 32,654 | 97.8% |
| 1950s | 321 | 24,645 | 98.7% |
| 1960s | 164 | 12,388 | 98.7% |
| 1970s | 64 | 2,518 | 97.5% |
| 1980s | 55 | 1,409 | 96.2% |
| 1990s | 47 | 869 | 94.9% |
| 2000s | 18 | 635 | 97.2% |
| 2010s | 40 | 504 | 92.6% |
| 2020s | 56 | 217 | 79.5% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 14 | #6,303 | 38 | #3,912 |
| 2023 | 13 | #6,713 | 48 | #3,345 |
| 2022 | 10 | #8,042 | 47 | #3,391 |
| 2021 | 9 | #8,511 | 42 | #3,643 |
| 2020 | 10 | #7,804 | 42 | #3,577 |
| 2019 | 7 | #10,299 | 43 | #3,583 |
| 2018 | 6 | #11,489 | 63 | #2,722 |
| 2017 | 8 | #9,289 | 51 | #3,175 |
| 2016 | 5 | #13,231 | 47 | #3,398 |
| 2015 | 8 | #9,163 | 43 | #3,632 |
| 2014 | 6 | #11,439 | 60 | #2,870 |
| 2013 | 0 | – | 51 | #3,204 |
| 2012 | 0 | – | 52 | #3,190 |
| 2011 | 0 | – | 47 | #3,432 |
| 2010 | 0 | – | 47 | #3,443 |
| 2009 | 0 | – | 41 | #3,836 |
| 2008 | 0 | – | 46 | #3,555 |
| 2007 | 0 | – | 66 | #2,768 |
| 2006 | 0 | – | 63 | #2,794 |
| 2005 | 5 | #12,408 | 61 | #2,746 |
| 2004 | 7 | #9,462 | 67 | #2,515 |
| 2003 | 6 | #10,251 | 66 | #2,477 |
| 2002 | 0 | – | 79 | #2,129 |
| 2001 | 0 | – | 72 | #2,249 |
| 2000 | 0 | – | 74 | #2,163 |
| 1999 | 0 | – | 66 | #2,270 |
| 1998 | 5 | #10,480 | 70 | #2,094 |
| 1997 | 0 | – | 74 | #1,954 |
| 1996 | 6 | #8,469 | 67 | #2,074 |
| 1995 | 5 | #9,602 | 82 | #1,768 |
| 1994 | 7 | #7,373 | 88 | #1,695 |
| 1993 | 6 | #8,157 | 100 | #1,557 |
| 1992 | 5 | #9,127 | 104 | #1,511 |
| 1991 | 8 | #6,237 | 104 | #1,503 |
| 1990 | 5 | #8,821 | 114 | #1,393 |
| 1989 | 5 | #8,576 | 117 | #1,329 |
| 1988 | 9 | #5,010 | 141 | #1,105 |
| 1987 | 7 | #5,792 | 118 | #1,218 |
| 1986 | 7 | #5,654 | 129 | #1,123 |
| 1985 | 0 | – | 139 | #1,063 |
| 1984 | 6 | #5,981 | 147 | #983 |
| 1983 | 0 | – | 150 | #975 |
| 1982 | 8 | #4,815 | 151 | #982 |
| 1981 | 8 | #4,747 | 164 | #916 |
| 1980 | 5 | #6,767 | 153 | #969 |
| 1979 | 8 | #4,637 | 156 | #944 |
| 1978 | 6 | #5,429 | 155 | #916 |
| 1977 | 7 | #4,868 | 195 | #775 |
| 1976 | 7 | #4,682 | 191 | #758 |
| 1975 | 0 | – | 206 | #719 |
| 1974 | 9 | #3,705 | 239 | #640 |
| 1973 | 5 | #5,482 | 272 | #581 |
| 1972 | 6 | #4,719 | 251 | #620 |
| 1971 | 8 | #3,803 | 377 | #503 |
| 1970 | 8 | #3,677 | 476 | #455 |
| 1969 | 10 | #2,964 | 498 | #433 |
| 1968 | 10 | #2,827 | 636 | #353 |
| 1967 | 10 | #2,692 | 711 | #327 |
| 1966 | 9 | #2,882 | 856 | #295 |
| 1965 | 17 | #1,961 | 1,021 | #270 |
| 1964 | 18 | #1,940 | 1,301 | #243 |
| 1963 | 15 | #2,162 | 1,607 | #212 |
| 1962 | 20 | #1,837 | 1,878 | #197 |
| 1961 | 26 | #1,588 | 1,955 | #192 |
| 1960 | 29 | #1,504 | 1,925 | #192 |
| 1959 | 26 | #1,571 | 2,004 | #182 |
| 1958 | 25 | #1,571 | 2,238 | #169 |
| 1957 | 37 | #1,289 | 2,355 | #163 |
| 1956 | 27 | #1,521 | 2,394 | #154 |
| 1955 | 36 | #1,261 | 2,327 | #157 |
| 1954 | 36 | #1,256 | 2,506 | #146 |
| 1953 | 33 | #1,320 | 2,462 | #146 |
| 1952 | 35 | #1,258 | 2,768 | #133 |
| 1951 | 34 | #1,269 | 2,963 | #120 |
| 1950 | 32 | #1,278 | 2,628 | #123 |
| 1949 | 46 | #1,041 | 2,751 | #119 |
| 1948 | 42 | #1,100 | 2,943 | #113 |
| 1947 | 59 | #910 | 3,520 | #104 |
| 1946 | 44 | #1,038 | 3,358 | #101 |
| 1945 | 51 | #893 | 3,058 | #91 |
| 1944 | 69 | #750 | 3,170 | #88 |
| 1943 | 98 | #646 | 3,493 | #81 |
| 1942 | 96 | #656 | 3,623 | #75 |
| 1941 | 96 | #618 | 3,538 | #70 |
| 1940 | 124 | #522 | 3,200 | #77 |
| 1939 | 123 | #512 | 3,260 | #76 |
| 1938 | 120 | #532 | 3,114 | #81 |
| 1937 | 129 | #507 | 3,010 | #79 |
| 1936 | 137 | #483 | 2,408 | #98 |
| 1935 | 150 | #465 | 1,648 | #134 |
| 1934 | 159 | #448 | 1,430 | #143 |
| 1933 | 135 | #483 | 864 | #200 |
| 1932 | 124 | #522 | 658 | #238 |
| 1931 | 124 | #521 | 558 | #259 |
| 1930 | 105 | #588 | 351 | #358 |
| 1929 | 80 | #691 | 218 | #448 |
| 1928 | 84 | #692 | 223 | #463 |
| 1927 | 102 | #623 | 267 | #419 |
| 1926 | 77 | #727 | 224 | #457 |
| 1925 | 67 | #811 | 248 | #439 |
| 1924 | 77 | #768 | 302 | #395 |
| 1923 | 85 | #704 | 285 | #396 |
| 1922 | 63 | #868 | 281 | #391 |
| 1921 | 60 | #905 | 304 | #383 |
| 1920 | 65 | #839 | 313 | #370 |
| 1919 | 40 | #1,093 | 330 | #355 |
| 1918 | 58 | #877 | 311 | #368 |
| 1917 | 40 | #1,053 | 283 | #377 |
| 1916 | 46 | #944 | 272 | #380 |
| 1915 | 31 | #1,172 | 243 | #386 |
| 1914 | 25 | #1,175 | 215 | #361 |
| 1913 | 20 | #1,159 | 159 | #381 |
| 1912 | 17 | #1,154 | 143 | #386 |
| 1911 | 9 | #1,238 | 111 | #382 |
| 1910 | 6 | #1,510 | 106 | #382 |
| 1909 | 0 | – | 83 | #402 |
| 1908 | 6 | #1,300 | 75 | #418 |
| 1907 | 6 | #1,266 | 53 | #493 |
| 1906 | 5 | #1,337 | 42 | #547 |
| 1905 | 5 | #1,335 | 49 | #485 |
| 1904 | 0 | – | 39 | #532 |
| 1903 | 5 | #1,216 | 37 | #535 |
| 1902 | 5 | #1,230 | 26 | #659 |
| 1901 | 0 | – | 22 | #694 |
| 1900 | 7 | #1,111 | 26 | #714 |
| 1899 | 5 | #1,136 | 23 | #654 |
| 1898 | 0 | – | 14 | #942 |
| 1897 | 5 | #1,149 | 15 | #846 |
| 1896 | 0 | – | 13 | #927 |
| 1895 | 0 | – | 10 | #1,088 |
| 1894 | 6 | #1,021 | 14 | #826 |
| 1893 | 0 | – | 16 | #751 |
| 1892 | 0 | – | 7 | #1,219 |
| 1891 | 0 | – | 5 | #1,424 |
| 1890 | 0 | – | 5 | #1,423 |
| 1889 | 0 | – | 7 | #1,077 |
| 1888 | 6 | #989 | 6 | #1,212 |
| 1887 | 0 | – | 6 | #1,089 |
| 1886 | 0 | – | 6 | #1,037 |
| 1885 | 0 | – | 6 | #987 |
| 1884 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1883 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1882 | 5 | #1,019 | 0 | – |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Kay reached #448 in 1934. As a girl name, it reached #70 in 1941. 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 1940s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Kay
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.