Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2024

Zay

Meaning Zay is a given name and a surname Gender Boy · 2% girls Rank 2025 #3,655 Trend ↑ Rising 81%

Zay is a given name and a surname.

Rank 2025
#3,655
among boys · ↓823 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
31
named Zay · -33% vs 2024
How common
1 in 55,099
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2024
46 babies
All-time total
308
#10,525 all-time among boys
First recorded
1918
in Social Security records

Zay popularity over time

308 babies have been named Zay since 1918, 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
0.010.020.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

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 – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s 6 – 6 1 – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s – – – – – –
1980s – – – – – –
1990s – – – – – –
2000s – 7 7 1 – #10,650
2010s – 114 114 11 +1529% #3,897
2020s (to 2025) – 181 181 30 +165% #2,832

Where Zay is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (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 boys Implied rank
2026 34 0.02 outside top 500
2027 37 0.02 outside top 500
2028 40 0.02 outside top 500
2029 42 0.02 outside top 500
2030 44 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Zay

Zay is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,655 in 2025 with 31 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1918, 308 American babies have been named Zay. Its peak came in 2024, when 46 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 Zay stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Zay?

The median living Zay is about 4 years old; half are between 1 and 7. An estimated 300 people named Zay are alive in the United States today.

median 4 020406080100

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

Zay 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 – – 31 #3,655
2024 – – 46 #2,832
2023 – – 34 #3,472
2022 – – 37 #3,276
2021 – – 15 #6,027
2020 – – 18 #5,230
2019 – – 28 #3,897
2018 – – 19 #5,100
2017 – – 15 #6,052
2016 – – 6 #12,160
2015 – – 5 #14,032
2014 – – 10 #8,122
2013 – – 8 #9,644
2012 – – 7 #10,754
2011 – – 11 #7,495
2010 – – 5 #14,239
2009 – – – –
2008 – – – –
2007 – – – –
2006 – – 7 #10,650
2005 – – – –
2004 – – – –
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 Zay, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Zay?

The median living Zay is about 4 years old. Half of all living Zays are between 1 and 7 years old.

How many people named Zay are alive today?

An estimated 300 people named Zay are alive in the United States, based on 308 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Zay mean?

Zay is a given name and a surname.

How popular is the name Zay in 2025?

Zay ranked #3,655 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 31 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Zay?

308 babies have been named Zay in the United States since 1918, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Zay most popular?

Zay peaked in 2024, when 46 newborns received the name.

Is Zay a boy or girl name?

Zay is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 98% of babies with the name.

Is the name Zay rising or falling?

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

Will Zay become more popular?

Zay is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 44 boys named Zay in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Zay

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

Compare Zay with similar names → More names starting with Z →