Nameling

Faye

Gender
Girl
Say it
FAY
Origin
English
UK rank, 2025
#300 for girls
US rank, 2025
#514 for girls

Big in Northern Ireland

Faye is a girls' name of English origin, meaning “fairy”. In 2025 it ranked 300th for girls in the UK (162 babies) and 514th for girls in the US (579 babies).

What does Faye mean?

English: from Middle English faie

“fairy”

From Middle English faie, fairy, as in Morgan le Fay; also used as a short form of Faith.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Faye a girl's or a boy's name?

Faye is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 162 girls in the UK and 579 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Faye in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#300among girls
Babies in 2025
162about 1 in 1,700 girls
Five-year trend
Steadydown 10% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 162 girls in the UK were named Faye, making it the 300th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 261st. Its busiest year was 2010, with 483 girls.

Half of all the girls named Faye in the UK since 1996 were born between 2002 and 2014. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.

In 2025, 183 girls in the UK were given Faye or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #279, up from #300 for this spelling alone.

Among girls in 2025, it was 333rd in England and Wales, 242nd in Scotland and 121st in Northern Ireland.

1996Busiest: 483 in 20102025
Faye in the UK, year by year
YearGirlsRank
2025162#300
2024191#271
2023211#242
2022150#322
2021212#251
2020197#261
2019196#274
2018236#238
2017235#239
2016275#212
2015256#231
2014317#187
2013360#165
2012465#141
2011438#145
2010483#133
2009431#147
2008410#149
2007456#138
2006441#140
2005426#141
2004413#144
2003429#128
2002470#113
2001423#127
2000435#128
1999406#135
1998398#131
1997401#138
1996417#122

How popular is Faye in the US?

Rank in 2025
#514among girls
Babies in 2025
579about 1 in 2,800 girls
Five-year trend
Risingup 41% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 579 girls in the US were named Faye, making it the 514th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 687th. Its busiest year was 1943, with 1,468 girls.

Half of all the girls named Faye in the US since 1880 were born between 1927 and 1956, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 657 girls in the US were given Faye or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #481, up from #514 for this spelling alone.

1880Busiest: 1,468 in 19432025
Faye in the US, year by year
YearGirlsRank
2025579#514
2024563#539
2023612#500
2022537#564
2021496#603
2020414#687
2019416#694
2018415#700
2017405#709
2016349#822
2015292#930
2014297#911
2013247#1,008
2012234#1,069
2011152#1,469
2010162#1,414
2009137#1,629
2008140#1,620
2007121#1,770
2006111#1,833
2005134#1,533
2004111#1,733
200382#2,122
2002102#1,769
200185#1,991
200083#1,994
199962#2,365
199855#2,495
199757#2,325
199649#2,554
199545#2,682
199458#2,250
199357#2,262
199287#1,709
199174#1,888
199074#1,888
198980#1,697
198865#1,887
198790#1,445
1986109#1,249
1985109#1,249
1984122#1,126
198393#1,303
1982127#1,107
1981142#1,017
1980121#1,125
1979164#905
1978154#919
1977145#952
1976128#992
1975141#917
1974149#871
1973125#958
1972153#848
1971195#750
1970204#729
1969234#653
1968245#614
1967248#602
1966270#573
1965338#519
1964437#464
1963477#445
1962556#414
1961657#377
1960782#337
1959772#341
1958856#311
1957941#298
1956974#279
19551,029#262
19541,097#245
19531,029#253
19521,221#226
19511,237#219
19501,271#210
19491,292#207
19481,345#200
19471,383#193
19461,422#182
19451,376#169
19441,353#165
19431,468#163
19421,304#175
19411,377#160
19401,391#153
19391,328#161
19381,323#162
19371,300#160
19361,215#162
19351,257#161
19341,420#146
19331,202#153
19321,223#159
19311,188#158
19301,099#177
19291,080#182
19281,078#192
19271,093#187
19261,219#173
19251,011#201
1924920#212
1923984#203
1922924#210
1921989#202
1920935#208
1919925#202
1918932#206
1917931#197
1916865#204
1915790#209
1914663#198
1913561#194
1912459#207
1911388#183
1910312#208
1909261#217
1908311#184
1907268#194
1906239#199
1905189#227
1904214#205
1903190#219
1902183#220
1901161#226
1900194#229
1899125#251
1898153#238
1897148#225
1896132#240
1895118#259
1894121#245
1893107#256
189297#269
189170#298
189059#329
188955#334
188856#320
188742#328
188636#356
188530#373
188423#416
188314#517
188220#407
188112#491
18808#628

Names like Faye

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Frankie Grace Charlotte Ruby Georgia Alice Fern Lucy Mae Eleanor Nellie Millie

Other spellings of Faye

Fae Fay

Names related to Faye

Faya

More English names

Lily Evelyn Hudson Ivy Harper Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Hallie Hazel Carter

Every English name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Faye: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/faye, updated 20 October 2026.