How Many People Are Named Kay?
Complete statistics for the name Kay: rarity score, gender breakdown, age distribution, historical popularity, worldwide data, meaning and origin.
Kay is a classic, old-school name with roots as a short form of names beginning with K, and it's carried mostly by women across generations. Around 62,718 people named Kay are living in the US today, making it genuinely rare at 1 in 5,262 Americans. The most striking thing? The average Kay is 77 years old, which tells you a lot about when this name had its moment.
📖 Meaning & Origin
Life path number 1 is traditionally linked to independence and strong leadership. People associated with the number 1 are seen as self-motivated pioneers who forge their own path.
🌍 Worldwide Usage
⚥ Gender Distribution
📊 Births by Age Group
Avg Cohort Age: 77All 102,497 recorded US births for this name, grouped by the age those individuals would be today. Not adjusted for survival, so the number living today is lower (see the living estimate above).
📈 Popularity Over Time
Peak: 1942Annual US births from SSA records · Trend: Stable
🏆 Name Scorecard
Scores 0–100 based on statistical analysis of US and worldwide name frequency
📜 Kay Through the Generations
Kay hit its peak in 1942 with 3,719 babies born in a single year, and that wartime-era popularity shaped who carries the name today. Of the estimated 62,718 living Kays in the US, a remarkable 91% are over 60, with 93,325 of all-time births falling into that older bracket. Only 1,685 Kays are under 30, which shows how completely this name stepped back from fashion in recent decades. The gap between all-time births of 102,497 and the living count of 62,718 reflects that so many Kays from the name's heyday are no longer with us. The trend is stable now, but stable at a very low level. New parents almost never choose Kay today, so the name is quietly aging out, carried forward almost entirely by the generation that made it famous in the 1940s and 50s.
📍 State Distribution (Top 10)
🌿 Related Names by Origin
Other names sharing Kay's English roots
📄 About the Name Kay
How Many People Have the Name Kay?
Based on Social Security Administration birth records and age-adjusted survival modeling, approximately 22,730 people in the United States currently share the name Kay. That works out to roughly 1 in every 14,582 Americans, placing it in the Rare category.
Is Kay a Common or Rare Name?
Kay is classified as Rare. The rarity scale runs from Very Common (shared by millions) through Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Very Rare. Understanding where a name sits helps parents gauge uniqueness, genealogists narrow down records, and individuals settle debates about their own name's distinctiveness.
What Does the Name Kay Mean?
Kay means "short form of K names" and comes from English origins. The name carries a life-path numerology number of 1.
Gender Breakdown
Of all recorded bearers of Kay in SSA data, approximately 2% are male and 98% are female.
When Was Kay Most Popular?
The name Kay reached peak popularity in 1942, with 3,719 babies registered that year. Current trend: Stable.
How Is This Data Calculated?
All figures are statistical estimates, not exact government headcounts. The underlying data comes from the SSA National Baby Names dataset. Full methodology is explained on the methodology page.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How many people are named Kay?
Approximately 22,730 people named Kay live in the United States today. All-time US births on record total 22,730. That works out to roughly 1 in 14,582 Americans.
Is Kay a rare name?
Kay is classified as Rare in the United States. Approximately 1 in every 14,582 Americans has this name.
What does the name Kay mean?
Kay means "short form of K names" and comes from English origins.
Is Kay more male or female?
Based on SSA records, 2% of people named Kay are male and 98% are female.
When was Kay most popular?
Kay peaked in 1942 with 3,719 births that year. Current trend: Stable.
How accurate are these statistics?
All figures are statistical estimates based on SSA birth records and age-adjusted modeling. See the methodology page for full details.