Islay: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#5,307

among girls · ↓794 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Islay · -23% vs 2024

How common

1 in 66,969

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2021

51 babies

All-time total

378

#13,995 all-time among girls

First recorded

1999

in Social Security records

Islay popularity over time

378 babies have been named Islay since 1999, 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

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	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	–	–	–
1980s	–	–	–	–
1990s	6	1	–	#13,293
2000s	27	3	+350%	#15,869
2010s	133	13	+393%	#3,957
2020s (to 2025)	212	35	+166%	#3,176

Where Islay is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	24	0.01	outside top 500
2027	24	0.01	outside top 500
2028	24	0.01	outside top 500
2029	24	0.01	outside top 500
2030	24	0.01	outside top 500

The story of Islay

Islay is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #5,307 in 2025 with 24 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1999, 378 American babies have been named Islay. Its peak came in 2021, when 51 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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 Islay stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Islay?

The median living Islay is about 5 years old; half are between 3 and 9. An estimated 400 people named Islay are alive in the United States today.

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

Islay year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	24	#5,307
2024	31	#4,513
2023	22	#5,632
2022	51	#3,187
2021	51	#3,176
2020	33	#4,208
2019	37	#3,957
2018	20	#6,113
2017	14	#8,022
2016	17	#7,031
2015	13	#8,643
2014	8	#12,367
2013	–	–
2012	12	#9,316
2011	7	#13,909
2010	5	#18,044
2009	5	#18,377
2008	5	#18,602
2007	6	#16,240
2006	6	#15,869
2005	–	–
2004	5	#17,137
2003	–	–
2002	–	–
2001	–	–
2000	–	–
1995	–	–
1990	–	–
1985	–	–
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Islay?

The median living Islay is about 5 years old. Half of all living Islays are between 3 and 9 years old.

How many people named Islay are alive today?

An estimated 400 people named Islay are alive in the United States, based on 378 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Islay in 2025?

Islay ranked #5,307 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 24 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Islay?

378 babies have been named Islay in the United States since 1999, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Islay most popular?

Islay peaked in 2021, when 51 newborns received the name.

Is Islay a boy or girl name?

Islay is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Islay rising or falling?

Islay is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Islay become more popular?

Islay looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 24 girls named Islay in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Islay

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

Compare Islay with similar names → More names starting with I →