Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1959

Gay

Meaning A unisex given name from English Gender Unisex · 93% girls Rank 2025 Below top lists

A unisex given name from English.

Rank 2025
–
among girls
Babies in 2025
<5
named Gay
How common
–
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1959
692 babies
All-time total
19,367
#1,141 all-time among girls
First recorded
1883
in Social Security records

Gay popularity over time

19,367 babies have been named Gay since 1883, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 41 19 60 6 – #700
1890s 160 46 206 21 +243% #610
1900s 183 16 199 20 -3% #753
1910s 483 164 647 65 +225% #801
1920s 745 258 1,003 100 +55% #653
1930s 2,587 300 2,887 289 +188% #345
1940s 4,329 276 4,605 461 +60% #315
1950s 5,654 206 5,860 586 +27% #318
1960s 3,409 73 3,482 348 -41% #381
1970s 388 24 412 41 -88% #1,019
1980s 6 – 6 1 -99% #9,597
1990s – – – – – –
2000s – – – – – –
2010s – – – – – –
2020s (to 2025) – – – – – –

The story of Gay

Gay is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1883, 19,367 American babies have been named Gay, about 93% girls and 7% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1959, when 692 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Gay stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Gay?

The median living Gay is about 71 years old; half are between 65 and 78. An estimated 12 thousand people named Gay are alive in the United States today.

median 71 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Gay year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – – –
2024 – – – –
2023 – – – –
2022 – – – –
2021 – – – –
2020 – – – –
2019 – – – –
2018 – – – –
2017 – – – –
2016 – – – –
2015 – – – –
2014 – – – –
2013 – – – –
2012 – – – –
2011 – – – –
2010 – – – –
2009 – – – –
2008 – – – –
2007 – – – –
2006 – – – –
2005 – – – –
2004 – – – –
2003 – – – –
2002 – – – –
2001 – – – –
2000 – – – –
1995 – – – –
1990 – – – –
1985 – – – –
1980 – – – –
1975 30 #2,577 – –
1970 122 #1,019 7 #3,989
1965 302 #548 7 #3,353
1960 626 #381 11 #2,589
1955 496 #395 14 #2,170
1950 481 #359 24 #1,511
1945 395 #345 31 #1,190
1940 308 #378 19 #1,592
1935 266 #394 32 #1,177
1930 155 #548 35 #1,201
1925 82 #822 30 #1,341
1920 57 #971 27 #1,437
1915 59 #852 22 #1,476
1910 26 #849 9 #1,146
1905 15 #982 – –
1900 18 #894 – –
1895 10 #1,082 – –
1890 16 #677 8 #773
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Gay

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Gay Talese Gay Talese American writer (born 1932) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Gay, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Gay?

The median living Gay is about 71 years old. Half of all living Gays are between 65 and 78 years old.

How many people named Gay are alive today?

An estimated 12 thousand people named Gay are alive in the United States, based on 19,367 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Gay mean?

A unisex given name from English.

How popular is the name Gay in 2025?

Gay did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Gay?

19,367 babies have been named Gay in the United States since 1883, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Gay most popular?

Gay peaked in 1959, when 692 newborns received the name.

Is Gay a boy or girl name?

Gay is used for both: about 93% of babies named Gay have been girls and 7% boys.

Is the name Gay rising or falling?

Gay has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Gay?

Well-known people named Gay include Gay Talese (writer).

Names like Gay

Names that sound and feel close to Gay: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Gay with similar names → More names starting with G →