Kay
How to say it: KAY · /ˈkeɪ/
Standalone name and diminutive: from Welsh Cai (Sir Kay of Arthurian legend), Greek Aikaterine, or Latin Caius ('rejoice').
Kay was the 2,819th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 37 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1940s, its births are down about 12% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #3,399 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #2,819 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 37 |
| Share of births | 1 in 89,603 |
| Peak decade | 1940s |
| Change over 10 years | −12% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #3,399 |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Kay peaked in the 1940s and is less common today.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Kay is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Dutch, English, German, Greek, Welsh.
Famous people named Kay
- Kay Ivey (born 1944)Governor of Alabama since 2017
- Kay Panabaker (born 1990)American actress
- Kay Bailey Hutchison (born 1943)American politician
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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