Kay
A short form of Katherine; also the Arthurian knight Cai, from Latin Caius.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Kay first shows up in the national records in 1882. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1936 to 1945. Its biggest year was 1942, when 3,622 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 75 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1941, at No. 70. All told, 102,545 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Kai (78,710), Kaye (13,707), Cai (1,945), Ka (917), Kae (753) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Katherine, Kayla, Kaylee
Explore Kay interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 31 | No. 921 |
| 1890s | 122 | No. 644 |
| 1900s | 452 | No. 401 |
| 1910s | 2,173 | No. 354 |
| 1920s | 2,665 | No. 370 |
| 1930s | 17,301 | No. 76 |
| 1940s | 32,654 | No. 70 |
| 1950s | 24,645 | No. 120 |
| 1960s | 12,390 | No. 192 |
| 1970s | 2,517 | No. 455 |
| 1980s | 1,409 | No. 912 |
| 1990s | 869 | No. 1385 |
| 2000s | 635 | No. 2126 |
| 2010s | 504 | No. 2711 |
| 2020s | 254 | No. 3329 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.