Kay
2025 SSA
2025 SSA
About Kay
Kay as a masculine name has diverse origins. It can be a short form of names like Kenneth or Kai, or derive from the Middle English word 'key.' In Arthurian legend, Sir Kay was King Arthur's foster brother and seneschal, lending the name a noble, medieval connection. It's also associated with the Old Norse name Kái, meaning 'rejoice.' This brief, one-syllable name has maintained steady but modest usage throughout the decades. Its simplicity and strong sound make it appealing for those seeking a straightforward yet distinctive name for a boy. Kay also has cross-cultural appeal, appearing in various forms in Germanic, Celtic, and Scandinavian traditions.
Kay for girls#3946 US
Kay, a cigarette-smoking, nightclubbing name of the 1930's, could be ready for a comeback along with cousins May/Mae and Ray/Rae.
Kay has been out of sight since the mid-eighties, but was in the double digits from 1936 to 1945, attached to several glamorous actresses of the period, such as fashion plate Kay Francis, as well as Eloise author Kay Thompson.
Kay was also once a unisex name, as in Sir Kay, in Arthurian legend one of the Knights of the Round Table.
Bottom line: Parents in search of a fresh, more cosmopolitan alternative to Kate might consider Kay..
Pronounced KAY.
As of October 2026, Kay ranked #7951 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #448 in 1934.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · boys | Births · boys | US rank · girls | Births · girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | — | 0 | #2,870 | 60 |
| 2015 | — | 0 | #3,632 | 43 |
| 2016 | — | 0 | #3,398 | 47 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | #3,175 | 51 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | #2,722 | 63 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | #3,583 | 43 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | #3,577 | 42 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | #3,643 | 42 |
| 2022 | — | 0 | #3,391 | 47 |
| 2023 | — | 0 | #3,345 | 48 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | #3,912 | 38 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | #3,946 | 37 |
World rankings
Kay for girls
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Kay on lists
Famous Kays
- Kay E. KuterBoy
American actor
- Kay KyserBoy
Bandleader, leader of Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge
- Kathryn Ann "Kay" Bailey HutchisonGirl
U.S. Senator from Texas
- Katherine Linn "Kay" SageGirl
American surrealist artist
- Kay Starr (born Katherine Laverne Starks)Girl
American singer
- (Stephanie) Kay PanabakerGirl
American actress
- Marsha "Miss Kay" RobertsonGirl
matriarch on TV's "Duck Dynasty"
- Kay Redfield JamisonGirl
American clinical psychologist
- Kay Thompson (born Catherine Louise Fink)Girl
American children's author
- (Justine) Kay KendallGirl
English actress
- Kay Ann LenzGirl
American actress
- Kay Francis (born Katharine Edwina Gibbs)Girl
American actress
- Kristin "Kay" BoutilierGirl
Canadian singer,songwriter
- Katharine Faulkner "Kay" SwiftGirl
American composer, namesake of musical "Oh, Kay!"
Kay in pop culture
- Kay FaradayBoy
main character in Ace Attorney spinoff, 'Ace Attorney Investigations'
- Sir Kay (sometimes Key)Boy
King Arthur's foster brother and one of the first Knights of the Round Table
- Kai (or Kay)Boy
character from Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Snow Queen"
- Mary KayGirl
American cosmetics company
- Kay JewelersGirl
chain with motto "Every kiss begins with Kay"
- Katherine "Kay" CorleoneGirl
character from "The Godfather"
- Kay BennettGirl
character on soap "Passions"
- "If You See KayGirl
" a song by alternative rock band The Script
- Kay FaradayGirl
from Ace Attorney Investigations
- Kay ScarpettaGirl
character in books by Patricia Cornwell
- Lady KayGirl
character in musical "Oh, Kay!"