The name Jay is a girl's name of Latin origin meaning "jaybird".

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While Jay has been long used as a stand-alone boy name, it has more recently been used as one for girls. Otherwise, it has largely been seen as a pet form of any J name, or as a singular middle name. 

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The name Jay peaked for girls at #1205 in 1926. The name is most popular in JAY. Jay is also used for boys, ranking #392 in 2025.

The name Jay is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "jaybird".

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Though this feels like a modern invention, Jay has been in use for centuries. Early Jays often were named in honor of founding father John Jay, whose surname derived from the jaybird. A popular mid-century choice, Jay was in the Top 100 from 1956 to 1970. In the last couple of decades he was replaced by such more elaborate forms as Jayden, Jaylen, and Jayce. But Jay could make a comeback in tandem with cousins May, Kay, Fay, and Ray.
<br/><br/>In literature, the most prominent Jay wasn't a Jay at all—Gatsby's birth name was James Gatz. In real life, the honor goes to Jay Leno, also born James.
<br><br/>In India, Jay is used as a modern variant of the Hindi Jaya, which means "victory."

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The name Jay is currently ranked #392 in U.S. births. and peaked for boys at #78 in 1960. The name is most popular in JAY, JAY, and JAY. Jay is occasionally used for girls in 2025.

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