Jay
Jay was the 392nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 809 babies. Its best year was 1960, when it ranked 78th with 5,385 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1 places. More babies were named Jay in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin not documented · English, Old French, Hindi
Say it JAY /dʒeɪ/
- Rank in 2025
- #392 boys, down 12 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 809boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19605,385 babies
- Total since 1880
- 198,132babies recorded
What does the name Jay mean?
Jay has several sources. As an English surname it comes from a nickname from the jay bird (Old French jai), used for a chattering or showy person. As a given name it is often a short form of names beginning with J, such as James, Jason or John. Wiktionary also notes a Hindi name Jay (Sanskrit jaya), "victory". The meaning depends on which source a family has in mind.
jai (Old French, “jay (bird)”)जय (Hindi / Sanskrit, “victory”)
How sure is this? Well established. Several separate sources share the spelling.
Related names: Jaye, James, Jason.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jay', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'jay', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'jay', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Jay popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,584 since 1896, 9 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #392 | 809 |
| 2020 | #380 | 808 |
| 2010 | #410 | 687 |
| 2000 | #326 | 869 |
| 1990 | #217 | 1,403 |
| 1980 | #141 | 1,984 |
| 1970 | #97 | 3,415 |
| 1960 | #78 | 5,385 |
| 1950 | #115 | 2,584 |
| 1940 | #139 | 1,291 |
| 1930 | #166 | 891 |
| 1920 | #201 | 666 |
| 1910 | #213 | 120 |
| 1900 | #192 | 107 |
| 1890 | #133 | 108 |
| 1880 | #127 | 103 |
How popular is Jay, counting every spelling?
Jay has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #403 for boys in 2025, against #392 on the official list, because Kason/Kasen/Casen and Mohamed/Mohammad/Mohammed and Rhys/Reece/Rhyse move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Jay?
809 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jay (0.22 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Jay born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 10 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jay.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jay?
About 136,300 people born in the US named Jay are alive today, with a median age of 57; half are between 39 and 67. That makes Jay a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Jay by state
How common Jay was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Utah (3.0×), Iowa (2.1×), Idaho (2.0×), Pennsylvania (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in West Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Jay: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jay, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Jay · Sibling names for Jay
Jay is also a nickname for Jayden, Jason, Jaden, Jalen and Jayson.
Questions about the name Jay
What does Jay mean?
The origin of Jay is uncertain: several separate sources share the spelling.
How popular is the name Jay?
Jay was the 392nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 809 babies. Its best year was 1960, when it ranked 78th with 5,385 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1 places. More babies were named Jay in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Jay a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Jay in the US.
Where is Jay most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jay was most common in Utah (1.47 per 1,000 boys), followed by Iowa and Idaho.