Jay

maleStatistical record

What official birth registration shows about Jay: which national registrars published it, in which years, and how its recorded position changed.

No researched meaning, origin or pronunciation yet — what that means.

Jay: Recorded since 1975, it reached #33 in 2009, and it stood at #309 in 2025.

5registrars recorded it
124times a registrar ranked it
51years from first to last
#33highest recorded position
25groupings it qualifies for

What stands out in Jay's record

Moved 214 places between two consecutive years — its largest recorded change. Names by largest single-year move

Region

Falling

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2008

View as table

England and Wales · Girls rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#703
1997	#926
1998	#701
1999	#900
2000	#930
2001	#1025
2002	#1066
2003	#1472
2004	#2530
2005	#1934
2006	#5061
2007	#2895
2008	#5545

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among boys in Republic of Ireland in 35 of the 38 years from 1988 to 2025.

In 2024: #278 among boys in Scotland, #287 among boys in Republic of Ireland, #305 among boys in Northern Ireland, #500 among boys in England and Wales.

Official data from 5 national registrars across 5 regions, 1975–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1975
First recorded at #100 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #33 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2009 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #309 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys

Jay appears in 5 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Republic of Ireland · Boys, with 35 ranked years and 789 births registered; the earliest is New South Wales, Australia · Boys, from 1975.

Jay across 5 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Jay's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Republic of Ireland · Boys	#319 (1988)	#133 (2009)	#309 (2025)	35 of 38	789 (1988–2025)	56 (2008)
England and Wales · Boys	#89 (1996)	#59 (2001)	#500 (2024)	29 of 29	14,638 (1996–2024)	983 (2001)
Northern Ireland · Boys	#143 (1997)	#33 (2009)	#305 (2024)	28 of 28	1,092 (1997–2024)	90 (2008)
New South Wales, Australia · Boys	#100 (1975)	#69 (1982)	#96 (1996)	18 of 22	1,674 (1975–1996)	119 (1981)
England and Wales · Girls	#703 (1996)	#701 (1998)	#5545 (2008)	13 of 13	222 (1996–2008)	34 (1998)

Jay by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Jay in Republic of Ireland · Boys, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1980s	6	2 of 10	3
1990s	33	7 of 10	5
2000s	304	10 of 10	30
2010sbusiest	344	10 of 10	34
2020s	102	6 of 10	17

Across Republic of Ireland · Boys, the 2010s were its busiest decade, averaging 34 births a year.

See the names Republic of Irelandhas recorded the most births with →

Jay appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

Popularity data

Official popularity data is available for 5 regions, from 1975 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #33 in Northern Ireland in 2009.

Jay's recorded popularity observations by year, region and administrative category, including rank, registered births, source confidence and when each region's data was last reviewed.
Year	Region	Category	Rank	Births registered	Confidence	Status
2024	England and Wales	male	#500	78	High	Verified
2023	England and Wales	male	#494	80	High	Verified
2022	England and Wales	male	#453	89	High	Verified
2021	England and Wales	male	#477	84	High	Verified
2020	England and Wales	male	#381	112	High	Verified
2019	England and Wales	male	#339	133	High	Verified
2018	England and Wales	male	#335	137	High	Verified
2017	England and Wales	male	#275	189	High	Verified
2016	England and Wales	male	#249	215	High	Verified
2015	England and Wales	male	#235	237	High	Verified
2014	England and Wales	male	#199	285	High	Verified
2013	England and Wales	male	#202	276	High	Verified
2012	England and Wales	male	#140	438	High	Verified
2011	England and Wales	male	#126	500	High	Verified
2010	England and Wales	male	#117	531	High	Verified
2009	England and Wales	male	#102	620	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	female	#5545	3	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	male	#96	687	High	Verified
2007	England and Wales	female	#2895	7	High	Verified
2007	England and Wales	male	#95	674	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	female	#5061	3	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	male	#90	756	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	female	#1934	11	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	male	#81	820	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	female	#2530	7	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	male	#67	947	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	female	#1472	14	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	male	#65	929	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	female	#1066	20	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	male	#62	971	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	female	#1025	20	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	male	#59	983	High	Verified
2000	England and Wales	female	#930	23	High	Verified
2000	England and Wales	male	#63	893	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	female	#900	24	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	male	#65	890	High	Verified
1998	England and Wales	female	#701	34	High	Verified
1998	England and Wales	male	#79	754	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	female	#926	23	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	male	#84	691	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	female	#703	33	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	male	#89	639	High	Verified
1996	New South Wales, Australia	male	#96	90	Insufficient	Not yet available
1995	New South Wales, Australia	male	#99	82	Insufficient	Not yet available
1994	New South Wales, Australia	male	#98	81	Insufficient	Not yet available
1992	New South Wales, Australia	male	#99	86	Insufficient	Not yet available
1991	New South Wales, Australia	male	#88	92	Insufficient	Not yet available
1990	New South Wales, Australia	male	#93	82	Insufficient	Not yet available
1988	New South Wales, Australia	male	#95	77	Insufficient	Not yet available
1987	New South Wales, Australia	male	#82	102	Insufficient	Not yet available
1986	New South Wales, Australia	male	#80	92	Insufficient	Not yet available
1985	New South Wales, Australia	male	#76	97	Insufficient	Not yet available
1984	New South Wales, Australia	male	#76	104	Insufficient	Not yet available
1983	New South Wales, Australia	male	#73	107	Insufficient	Not yet available
1982	New South Wales, Australia	male	#69	109	Insufficient	Not yet available
1981	New South Wales, Australia	male	#71	119	Insufficient	Not yet available
1980	New South Wales, Australia	male	#71	108	Insufficient	Not yet available
1979	New South Wales, Australia	male	#82	95	Insufficient	Not yet available
1978	New South Wales, Australia	male	#86	87	Insufficient	Not yet available
1975	New South Wales, Australia	male	#100	64	Insufficient	Not yet available
2024	Northern Ireland	male	#305	5	High	Verified
2023	Northern Ireland	male	#249	7	High	Verified
2022	Northern Ireland	male	#177	12	High	Verified
2021	Northern Ireland	male	#192	12	High	Verified
2020	Northern Ireland	male	#180	12	High	Verified
2019	Northern Ireland	male	#138	18	High	Verified
2018	Northern Ireland	male	#128	19	High	Verified
2017	Northern Ireland	male	#120	23	High	Verified
2016	Northern Ireland	male	#98	32	High	Verified
2015	Northern Ireland	male	#102	29	High	Verified
2014	Northern Ireland	male	#96	33	High	Verified
2013	Northern Ireland	male	#62	49	High	Verified
2012	Northern Ireland	male	#85	38	High	Verified
2011	Northern Ireland	male	#47	70	High	Verified
2010	Northern Ireland	male	#50	68	High	Verified
2009	Northern Ireland	male	#33	88	High	Verified
2008	Northern Ireland	male	#34	90	High	Verified
2007	Northern Ireland	male	#38	77	High	Verified
2006	Northern Ireland	male	#50	62	High	Verified
2005	Northern Ireland	male	#49	62	High	Verified
2004	Northern Ireland	male	#50	60	High	Verified
2003	Northern Ireland	male	#48	65	High	Verified
2002	Northern Ireland	male	#67	42	High	Verified
2001	Northern Ireland	male	#74	38	High	Verified
2000	Northern Ireland	male	#101	24	High	Verified
1999	Northern Ireland	male	#97	27	High	Verified
1998	Northern Ireland	male	#117	18	High	Verified
1997	Northern Ireland	male	#143	12	High	Verified
2025	Republic of Ireland	male	#309	14	High	Verified
2024	Republic of Ireland	male	#287	14	High	Verified
2023	Republic of Ireland	male	#243	18	High	Verified
2022	Republic of Ireland	male	#251	19	High	Verified
2021	Republic of Ireland	male	#257	18	High	Verified
2020	Republic of Ireland	male	#250	19	High	Verified
2019	Republic of Ireland	male	#295	15	High	Verified
2018	Republic of Ireland	male	#247	20	High	Verified
2017	Republic of Ireland	male	#203	28	High	Verified
2016	Republic of Ireland	male	#237	21	High	Verified
2015	Republic of Ireland	male	#145	44	High	Verified
2014	Republic of Ireland	male	#175	35	High	Verified
2013	Republic of Ireland	male	#152	42	High	Verified
2012	Republic of Ireland	male	#148	47	High	Verified
2011	Republic of Ireland	male	#149	47	High	Verified
2010	Republic of Ireland	male	#156	45	High	Verified
2009	Republic of Ireland	male	#133	53	High	Verified
2008	Republic of Ireland	male	#134	56	High	Verified
2007	Republic of Ireland	male	#152	40	High	Verified
2006	Republic of Ireland	male	#173	27	High	Verified
2005	Republic of Ireland	male	#203	18	High	Verified
2004	Republic of Ireland	male	#163	24	High	Verified
2003	Republic of Ireland	male	#162	24	High	Verified
2002	Republic of Ireland	male	#159	24	High	Verified
2001	Republic of Ireland	male	#165	19	High	Verified
2000	Republic of Ireland	male	#168	19	High	Verified
1999	Republic of Ireland	male	#214	9	High	Verified
1998	Republic of Ireland	male	#242	6	High	Verified
1997	Republic of Ireland	male	#337	4	High	Verified
1996	Republic of Ireland	male	#336	4	High	Verified
1995	Republic of Ireland	male	#334	3	High	Verified
1994	Republic of Ireland	male	#342	3	High	Verified
1993	Republic of Ireland	male	#302	4	High	Verified
1989	Republic of Ireland	male	#307	3	High	Verified
1988	Republic of Ireland	male	#319	3	High	Verified
2024	Scotland	male	#278	14	High	Verified

England and Wales hub — collected by Office for National Statistics
New South Wales, Australia hub — collected by NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages
Northern Ireland hub — collected by NISRA
Republic of Ireland hub — collected by CSO Ireland
Scotland hub — collected by National Records of Scotland

See methodology and data sources for how popularity data is collected and what "confidence" means.

What the record shows

Recorded by 5 registrars between 1975 and 2025, ranked in 49 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #33, first reached in 2009.

It held a top-100 place in 37 years, 21 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 983 births, registered in England and Wales in 2001.

1 registrar publishes it in more than one category list, holding a place in each for at least five years — an observation about those lists rather than about the name.

Its record falls into 2 separate stretches, with a longest absence of 2 years.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1988, and 49 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Jaxx · #246, 16y
Jaxxon · #907, 15y
Jay-Jay · #841, 27y
Jaya · #458, 29y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 5 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Trent · #36, 53y
Rebekah · #37, 45y
Kimberley · #27, 44y
Monique · #39, 51y

Also first recorded in the 1970s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1970 and 1979.

Billie · #33, 35y
Esme · #33, 33y
Keira · #33, 49y
Kirsty · #33, 54y

Jay was ranked #33 in Northern Ireland · Boys in 2009. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Jay and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,573 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Jay without appearing here.

Jay moved ahead of

Ciaran Compare
In 2017 they stood at #203 and #78 in Republic of Ireland · Boys; by 2018 that had become #247 and #520.
Tobias Compare
In 2019 they stood at #295 and #285 in Republic of Ireland · Boys; by 2020 that had become #250 and #496.
Phillip Compare
In 2000 they stood at #242 and #188 in Republic of Ireland · Boys; by 2001 that had become #165 and #409.
Daithi Compare
In 2017 they stood at #203 and #71 in Republic of Ireland · Boys; by 2018 that had become #247 and #471.

Moved ahead of Jay

Pauline Compare
In 2007 they stood at #2895 and #3667 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2008 that had become #5545 and #1718.
Karin Compare
In 2007 they stood at #2895 and #5201 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2008 that had become #5545 and #2150.
Finley Compare
In 2005 they stood at #1934 and #2438 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2006 that had become #5061 and #1862.
Clodagh Compare
In 2005 they stood at #1934 and #2084 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2006 that had become #5061 and #1983.

Moved the opposite way to Jay

Albie Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Boys, Jay went from #89 to #500 while Albie went from #853 to #19.
Alfie Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Boys, Jay went from #89 to #500 while Alfie went from #119 to #16.
Alfred Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Boys, Jay went from #89 to #500 while Alfred went from #218 to #81.
Archie Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Boys, Jay went from #89 to #500 while Archie went from #192 to #10.

Moved the same way as Jay

Aaron Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Boys, Jay went from #89 to #500 and Aaron from #33 to #154.
Adam Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Boys, Jay went from #89 to #500 and Adam from #16 to #35.
Alan Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Boys, Jay went from #89 to #500 and Alan from #163 to #592.
Alexander Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Boys, Jay went from #89 to #500 and Alexander from #14 to #36.

What's not yet available

Meaning
Origin
Pronunciation
Nicknames and spelling variants

Absence from this list does not mean the name isn't genuinely meaningful or widely used — only that Namewise hasn't sourced and reviewed that content yet. Absence from a specific year or geography above does not prove zero use there either; official statistics only publish names above a minimum threshold.

Official popularity data is available for 5 regions, from 1975 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #33 in Northern Ireland in 2009. Source data last verified 2026-07-21.

Jay

Jay at a glance

What stands out in Jay's record

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Jay across 5 official records

Jay by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Jay appears in

Popularity data

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1970s

Names published alongside Jay

Jay and the names beside it

Jay moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Jay

Moved the opposite way to Jay

Moved the same way as Jay

Jay at a glance

What stands out in Jay's record

Jay across 5 official records

Jay by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Jay appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1970s

Names published alongside Jay

Jay and the names beside it

Jay moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Jay

Moved the opposite way to Jay

Moved the same way as Jay