Jay
Boy · JAY · English
Big in ScotlandBig in Northern Ireland
Jay is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “jay (the bird)”. In 2025 it ranked 516th for boys in the UK (83 babies) and 392nd for boys in the US (809 babies).
What does Jay mean?
English: bird name; also a short form of names beginning with J
“jay (the bird)”
Jay Gatsby is the enigmatic hero of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby.
- Say it
- JAY
More on Wiktionary.
Is Jay a girl's or a boy's name?
Jay is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 83 boys in the UK and 9 girls and 809 boys in the US.
How popular is Jay in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #516among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 83about 1 in 3,600 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 46% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 83 boys in the UK were named Jay, making it the 516th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 333rd. Its busiest year was 2002, with 1,196 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had the fewest boys named Jay since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Jay in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2010. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 650th in England and Wales, 208th in Scotland and 253rd in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1994 (#98) and 2004 (#67).
Jay in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 83 | #516 |
| 2024 | 97 | #458 |
| 2023 | 104 | #432 |
| 2022 | 124 | #381 |
| 2021 | 120 | #408 |
| 2020 | 151 | #333 |
| 2019 | 183 | #294 |
| 2018 | 188 | #296 |
| 2017 | 258 | #238 |
| 2016 | 303 | #212 |
| 2015 | 347 | #187 |
| 2014 | 404 | #159 |
| 2013 | 440 | #151 |
| 2012 | 587 | #124 |
| 2011 | 734 | #105 |
| 2010 | 744 | #99 |
| 2009 | 901 | #83 |
| 2008 | 982 | #82 |
| 2007 | 915 | #87 |
| 2006 | 976 | #82 |
| 2005 | 1,045 | #75 |
| 2004 | 1,185 | #64 |
| 2003 | 1,164 | #64 |
| 2002 | 1,196 | #61 |
| 2001 | 1,185 | #60 |
| 2000 | 1,036 | #64 |
| 1999 | 1,010 | #67 |
| 1998 | 858 | #79 |
| 1997 | 773 | #84 |
| 1996 | 698 | #89 |
How popular is Jay in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #392among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 809about 1 in 2,100 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 1% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 809 boys in the US were named Jay, making it the 392nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 380th. Its busiest year was 1960, with 5,385 boys. 9 girls were also named Jay in 2025 (10,104th for girls).
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Jay than any year since 2020.
Half of all the boys named Jay in the US since 1880 were born between 1951 and 1979, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 863 boys in the US were given Jay or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #385, up from #392 for this spelling alone.
Jay in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 809 | #392 |
| 2024 | 822 | #396 |
| 2023 | 837 | #381 |
| 2022 | 897 | #367 |
| 2021 | 864 | #377 |
| 2020 | 808 | #380 |
| 2019 | 848 | #373 |
| 2018 | 799 | #397 |
| 2017 | 859 | #382 |
| 2016 | 818 | #392 |
| 2015 | 806 | #393 |
| 2014 | 850 | #370 |
| 2013 | 767 | #389 |
| 2012 | 772 | #386 |
| 2011 | 718 | #397 |
| 2010 | 687 | #410 |
| 2009 | 719 | #408 |
| 2008 | 763 | #394 |
| 2007 | 752 | #396 |
| 2006 | 867 | #350 |
| 2005 | 852 | #348 |
| 2004 | 822 | #347 |
| 2003 | 810 | #344 |
| 2002 | 825 | #334 |
| 2001 | 888 | #313 |
| 2000 | 869 | #326 |
| 1999 | 855 | #325 |
| 1998 | 833 | #326 |
| 1997 | 946 | #292 |
| 1996 | 942 | #287 |
| 1995 | 1,011 | #275 |
| 1994 | 1,102 | #262 |
| 1993 | 1,106 | #260 |
| 1992 | 1,220 | #236 |
| 1991 | 1,268 | #234 |
| 1990 | 1,403 | #217 |
| 1989 | 1,444 | #203 |
| 1988 | 1,369 | #199 |
| 1987 | 1,487 | #185 |
| 1986 | 1,484 | #179 |
| 1985 | 1,524 | #175 |
| 1984 | 1,554 | #171 |
| 1983 | 1,541 | #170 |
| 1982 | 1,667 | #164 |
| 1981 | 1,787 | #153 |
| 1980 | 1,984 | #141 |
| 1979 | 2,145 | #126 |
| 1978 | 2,151 | #119 |
| 1977 | 2,097 | #130 |
| 1976 | 2,105 | #126 |
| 1975 | 2,174 | #117 |
| 1974 | 2,360 | #110 |
| 1973 | 2,215 | #118 |
| 1972 | 2,443 | #115 |
| 1971 | 2,866 | #114 |
| 1970 | 3,415 | #97 |
| 1969 | 3,181 | #95 |
| 1968 | 3,428 | #87 |
| 1967 | 3,612 | #87 |
| 1966 | 3,598 | #91 |
| 1965 | 3,944 | #90 |
| 1964 | 4,567 | #84 |
| 1963 | 4,720 | #85 |
| 1962 | 5,158 | #80 |
| 1961 | 5,119 | #81 |
| 1960 | 5,385 | #78 |
| 1959 | 4,940 | #88 |
| 1958 | 5,027 | #86 |
| 1957 | 4,630 | #88 |
| 1956 | 4,120 | #92 |
| 1955 | 3,396 | #103 |
| 1954 | 3,372 | #101 |
| 1953 | 3,235 | #99 |
| 1952 | 3,028 | #106 |
| 1951 | 2,637 | #116 |
| 1950 | 2,584 | #115 |
| 1949 | 2,457 | #118 |
| 1948 | 2,272 | #123 |
| 1947 | 2,438 | #119 |
| 1946 | 2,196 | #115 |
| 1945 | 1,760 | #125 |
| 1944 | 1,554 | #136 |
| 1943 | 1,673 | #134 |
| 1942 | 1,598 | #133 |
| 1941 | 1,416 | #137 |
| 1940 | 1,291 | #139 |
| 1939 | 1,146 | #142 |
| 1938 | 1,181 | #138 |
| 1937 | 1,147 | #136 |
| 1936 | 1,102 | #140 |
| 1935 | 1,067 | #147 |
| 1934 | 933 | #157 |
| 1933 | 949 | #151 |
| 1932 | 934 | #161 |
| 1931 | 867 | #166 |
| 1930 | 891 | #166 |
| 1929 | 842 | #168 |
| 1928 | 769 | #185 |
| 1927 | 870 | #171 |
| 1926 | 827 | #175 |
| 1925 | 789 | #182 |
| 1924 | 854 | #170 |
| 1923 | 829 | #172 |
| 1922 | 780 | #180 |
| 1921 | 828 | #174 |
| 1920 | 666 | #201 |
| 1919 | 637 | #197 |
| 1918 | 706 | #185 |
| 1917 | 643 | #188 |
| 1916 | 640 | #184 |
| 1915 | 537 | #200 |
| 1914 | 379 | #213 |
| 1913 | 349 | #192 |
| 1912 | 318 | #183 |
| 1911 | 126 | #229 |
| 1910 | 120 | #213 |
| 1909 | 98 | #217 |
| 1908 | 89 | #218 |
| 1907 | 91 | #210 |
| 1906 | 87 | #203 |
| 1905 | 92 | #193 |
| 1904 | 95 | #189 |
| 1903 | 82 | #193 |
| 1902 | 89 | #188 |
| 1901 | 96 | #160 |
| 1900 | 107 | #189 |
| 1899 | 63 | #208 |
| 1898 | 85 | #184 |
| 1897 | 82 | #186 |
| 1896 | 78 | #202 |
| 1895 | 91 | #171 |
| 1894 | 96 | #160 |
| 1893 | 105 | #142 |
| 1892 | 111 | #145 |
| 1891 | 99 | #137 |
| 1890 | 108 | #133 |
| 1889 | 104 | #139 |
| 1888 | 122 | #129 |
| 1887 | 106 | #124 |
| 1886 | 107 | #126 |
| 1885 | 91 | #149 |
| 1884 | 110 | #130 |
| 1883 | 97 | #128 |
| 1882 | 80 | #170 |
| 1881 | 96 | #123 |
| 1880 | 103 | #126 |
Names like Jay
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
James Billy John Jack Joel Joseph Thomas Charles Jamie Harvey Harry Michael
Other spellings of Jay
Names related to Jay
More English names
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