NameData
Name file · Girl · SSA 1880–2024
Gay
Gay is a girl's name.
○ Now rarethe Baby Boomers
17,985
Total named
72
Avg ageestimated
1959
Peak year
Unranked
Rank in 2024
Gay peaked in 1959, when about 682 girls were given the name. It's now too rare to crack the top of the SSA charts at all. Most people named Gay today are around 72 years old (estimated) — squarely the Baby Boomers. In all, roughly 17,985 girls have been named Gay since record-keeping began in 1886.

📈 Popularity over time

How many girls were named Gay each year, 1880–2024.
Peak: 1959682 girls19001920194019601980

♀ ♂ A shared name

Gay is given to both girls and boys. Among everyone with this name:
93% girls
7% boys

↔ Names from the same era

Other girls' names that peaked around the same time as Gay:
MartinaSaundraRoslynIleneValarieAlthea
Data: U.S. Social Security Administration (public domain), 1880–2024. Average age is estimated from a survival curve, not actuarial tables.
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How we read a name

Every figure on this page comes from the U.S. Social Security Administration's public-domain record of names given to babies born in the United States from 1880 to 2024. The SSA only counts a name in a year if at least five babies received it.

Popularity & rank

The trajectory shows how many girls were named Gay each year. The peak year is simply the year that count was highest, and the rank is where the name sat among all girls' names in 2024.

Estimated average age

We estimate the typical age of living people with this name by combining how many were born each year with a rough survival curve. It's a useful approximation for "how old does this name feel," not a precise actuarial figure — that's why we always label it estimated.

For general informational and entertainment purposes only. Counts reflect U.S. SSA card applications and may differ from total births. Figures are rounded.