Boy · English
Jay
Say it: JAY
Meaning
Uncertain. Partly from the letter J as a short form of names like James or John, partly from the bird (Old French gai).
Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.
Used as a given name in the US since the 1800s.
Its wave through time
Timeless: in steady use for over a century
In the United States
- 193,775 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 1960, about 1 in 396 boys
- 804 babies in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
Famous bearers
- Jay Gould, American financier
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- National census records of the 19th and 20th centuries
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.