Is Shay a boy or girl name?
Shay is used for both, more often for girls in the US. In 2024, 208 girls and 98 boys were named Shay, so 68% were girls. Across 1880–2024, 61.9% of the 12,989 US babies named Shay were girls.
- Boy rank, 2024
- #1,701
- Girl rank, 2024
- #1,158
- Babies named Shay since 1932
- 12,989
- Most popular year
- 2021
- 409 babies
Boys and girls named Shay, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| 1940s | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1950s | 15 | 55 | 78.6% |
| 1960s | 176 | 275 | 61% |
| 1970s | 726 | 1,086 | 59.9% |
| 1980s | 847 | 1,067 | 55.7% |
| 1990s | 1,146 | 1,449 | 55.8% |
| 2000s | 853 | 1,322 | 60.8% |
| 2010s | 693 | 1,447 | 67.6% |
| 2020s | 486 | 1,341 | 73.4% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 98 | #1,701 | 208 | #1,158 |
| 2023 | 90 | #1,799 | 255 | #999 |
| 2022 | 102 | #1,689 | 301 | #914 |
| 2021 | 109 | #1,589 | 300 | #903 |
| 2020 | 87 | #1,763 | 277 | #932 |
| 2019 | 74 | #1,996 | 199 | #1,183 |
| 2018 | 87 | #1,774 | 168 | #1,344 |
| 2017 | 72 | #1,999 | 180 | #1,306 |
| 2016 | 87 | #1,773 | 171 | #1,378 |
| 2015 | 62 | #2,205 | 172 | #1,379 |
| 2014 | 53 | #2,424 | 144 | #1,525 |
| 2013 | 53 | #2,395 | 115 | #1,789 |
| 2012 | 61 | #2,181 | 84 | #2,260 |
| 2011 | 76 | #1,860 | 102 | #1,950 |
| 2010 | 68 | #2,031 | 112 | #1,828 |
| 2009 | 86 | #1,772 | 109 | #1,930 |
| 2008 | 75 | #1,929 | 148 | #1,559 |
| 2007 | 88 | #1,719 | 127 | #1,721 |
| 2006 | 92 | #1,594 | 122 | #1,721 |
| 2005 | 90 | #1,567 | 123 | #1,638 |
| 2004 | 92 | #1,482 | 141 | #1,451 |
| 2003 | 101 | #1,355 | 131 | #1,493 |
| 2002 | 75 | #1,617 | 140 | #1,384 |
| 2001 | 61 | #1,837 | 125 | #1,504 |
| 2000 | 93 | #1,369 | 156 | #1,260 |
| 1999 | 84 | #1,407 | 167 | #1,166 |
| 1998 | 90 | #1,336 | 148 | #1,233 |
| 1997 | 101 | #1,189 | 157 | #1,173 |
| 1996 | 116 | #1,057 | 158 | #1,154 |
| 1995 | 129 | #981 | 161 | #1,106 |
| 1994 | 130 | #970 | 157 | #1,140 |
| 1993 | 115 | #1,032 | 127 | #1,324 |
| 1992 | 109 | #1,054 | 129 | #1,310 |
| 1991 | 154 | #837 | 117 | #1,380 |
| 1990 | 118 | #961 | 128 | #1,277 |
| 1989 | 123 | #919 | 124 | #1,273 |
| 1988 | 128 | #842 | 106 | #1,349 |
| 1987 | 106 | #919 | 114 | #1,246 |
| 1986 | 64 | #1,197 | 92 | #1,402 |
| 1985 | 73 | #1,091 | 93 | #1,392 |
| 1984 | 67 | #1,110 | 97 | #1,292 |
| 1983 | 57 | #1,216 | 92 | #1,316 |
| 1982 | 62 | #1,178 | 100 | #1,284 |
| 1981 | 80 | #1,023 | 115 | #1,163 |
| 1980 | 87 | #966 | 134 | #1,062 |
| 1979 | 86 | #958 | 89 | #1,391 |
| 1978 | 71 | #1,038 | 107 | #1,181 |
| 1977 | 77 | #979 | 65 | #1,633 |
| 1976 | 72 | #987 | 84 | #1,306 |
| 1975 | 74 | #959 | 98 | #1,190 |
| 1974 | 78 | #923 | 130 | #958 |
| 1973 | 79 | #903 | 115 | #1,025 |
| 1972 | 65 | #1,005 | 116 | #1,015 |
| 1971 | 55 | #1,107 | 149 | #894 |
| 1970 | 69 | #976 | 133 | #958 |
| 1969 | 38 | #1,299 | 53 | #1,663 |
| 1968 | 32 | #1,387 | 34 | #2,084 |
| 1967 | 11 | #2,587 | 28 | #2,313 |
| 1966 | 18 | #1,882 | 22 | #2,650 |
| 1965 | 8 | #3,210 | 33 | #2,057 |
| 1964 | 14 | #2,297 | 18 | #3,090 |
| 1963 | 14 | #2,284 | 27 | #2,351 |
| 1962 | 13 | #2,348 | 29 | #2,251 |
| 1961 | 16 | #2,135 | 20 | #2,817 |
| 1960 | 12 | #2,522 | 11 | #4,129 |
| 1959 | 5 | #4,493 | 9 | #4,575 |
| 1958 | 0 | – | 7 | #5,317 |
| 1957 | 5 | #4,475 | 15 | #3,128 |
| 1956 | 0 | – | 6 | #5,854 |
| 1955 | 0 | – | 5 | #6,570 |
| 1954 | 5 | #4,292 | 6 | #5,650 |
| 1953 | 0 | – | 7 | #4,962 |
| 1952 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 5 | #4,214 | 0 | – |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Shay reached #837 in 1991. As a girl name, it reached #894 in 1971. 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 2020s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Shay
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.