Kay Girl

Popularity: #911 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: KAY //keɪ//

Origin: English; Irish

Meaning: English: Rejoice; Irish: Slim

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Kay has its roots in multiple linguistic traditions, primarily deriving from the Latin name "Gaius," which is believed to mean "rejoice." This Latin form evolved into the Old French "Kai" and subsequently made its way into Middle English as "Kay." The name has also been linked to the Welsh name "Cai," which is associated with the Arthurian legend, specifically Sir Kay, who was a knight of King Arthur's Round Table. This connection to Arthurian lore has contributed to the name's historical significance in British culture.

Historically, the name Kay appears in various forms across different cultures and eras. In the 12th century, Sir Kay was depicted in Geoffrey of Monmouth's "Historia Regum Britanniae," a foundational text of British mythology.

The name's association with chivalric tales and legendary figures helped solidify its place in the cultural consciousness of medieval England. Additionally, the name has been borne by saints, such as Saint Caius, a pope in the early Christian church, which further enriched its historical resonance.

Culturally, Kay has been embraced in various traditions, often symbolizing strength and loyalty, traits associated with its legendary namesakes. The name has also been used in literature and art, reinforcing its enduring appeal.

In some contexts, diminutive forms like "Kaye" or "Kaylee" have emerged, although these variations are more modern adaptations. Overall, Kay's journey through linguistic evolution, historical milestones, and cultural associations illustrates its multifaceted significance across time.

Famous people named Kay

In this section, you will find notable people named Kay. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Kay who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Kay who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Kay Adams is a sports commentator best known for Good Morning Football, NFL Network, and Fantasy Football Live.

Kay Panabaker is an actress best known for Fame, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and Nancy Drew.

Kay Lenz is an actress best known for Breezy, The Great Santini, and Midnight Caller.

Fictional characters named Kay

The following list of fictional characters named Kay is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Kay is a fictional character from the novel and film The Last Unicorn. They are a key figure in the story, representing the human desire for beauty and the passage of time.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Kay, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

MaeJayFayRayTayZay

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Kay. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

KaraKaylaKiraKylieKathyKelseyKiana

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Kay was first seen in the United States in 1882.

Kay has ranked as high as #142 nationally, which occurred in 1942, and has been most popular in Texas, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Kay has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Kay is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Kay was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Kay.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 47 10 37
2024 52 14 38
2023 61 13 48
2022 57 10 47
2021 51 9 42
2020 52 10 42
2019 50 7 43
2018 69 6 63
2017 59 8 51
2016 52 5 47
2015 51 8 43
2014 66 6 60
2013 51 0 51
2012 52 0 52
2011 47 0 47
2010 47 0 47
2009 41 0 41
2008 46 0 46
2007 66 0 66
2006 63 0 63
2005 66 5 61
2004 74 7 67
2003 72 6 66
2002 79 0 79
2001 72 0 72
2000 74 0 74
1999 66 0 66
1998 75 5 70
1997 74 0 74
1996 73 6 67
1995 87 5 82
1994 95 7 88
1993 106 6 100
1992 109 5 104
1991 112 8 104
1990 119 5 114
1989 122 5 117
1988 150 9 141
1987 125 7 118
1986 136 7 129
1985 139 0 139
1984 153 6 147
1983 150 0 150
1982 159 8 151
1981 172 8 164
1980 158 5 153
1979 164 8 156
1978 161 6 155
1977 202 7 195
1976 198 7 191
1975 206 0 206
1974 248 9 239
1973 277 5 272
1972 257 6 251
1971 384 8 376
1970 484 8 476
1969 508 10 498
1968 647 10 637
1967 721 10 711
1966 865 9 856
1965 1,038 17 1,021
1964 1,319 18 1,301
1963 1,623 15 1,608
1962 1,898 20 1,878
1961 1,981 26 1,955
1960 1,954 29 1,925
1959 2,030 26 2,004
1958 2,263 25 2,238
1957 2,392 37 2,355
1956 2,421 27 2,394
1955 2,363 36 2,327
1954 2,542 36 2,506
1953 2,495 33 2,462
1952 2,803 35 2,768
1951 2,997 34 2,963
1950 2,660 32 2,628
1949 2,797 46 2,751
1948 2,985 42 2,943
1947 3,579 59 3,520
1946 3,402 44 3,358
1945 3,109 51 3,058
1944 3,239 69 3,170
1943 3,592 98 3,494
1942 3,718 96 3,622
1941 3,634 96 3,538
1940 3,324 124 3,200
1939 3,383 123 3,260
1938 3,234 120 3,114
1937 3,139 129 3,010
1936 2,545 137 2,408
1935 1,798 150 1,648
1934 1,589 159 1,430
1933 999 135 864
1932 782 124 658
1931 682 124 558
1930 456 105 351
1929 298 80 218
1928 307 84 223
1927 369 102 267
1926 301 77 224
1925 315 67 248
1924 379 77 302
1923 370 85 285
1922 344 63 281
1921 364 60 304
1920 378 65 313
1919 370 40 330
1918 369 58 311
1917 323 40 283
1916 318 46 272
1915 274 31 243
1914 240 25 215
1913 179 20 159
1912 160 17 143
1911 120 9 111
1910 112 6 106
1909 83 0 83
1908 81 6 75
1907 59 6 53
1906 47 5 42
1905 54 5 49
1904 39 0 39
1903 42 5 37
1902 31 5 26
1901 22 0 22
1900 33 7 26
1899 28 5 23
1898 14 0 14
1897 20 5 15
1896 13 0 13
1895 10 0 10
1894 20 6 14
1893 16 0 16
1892 7 0 7
1891 5 0 5
1890 5 0 5
1889 7 0 7
1888 12 6 6
1887 6 0 6
1886 6 0 6
1885 6 0 6
1882 5 5 0

Top States for Kay (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 5
100%