Kay

Used for both boys and girlsStatistical record

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

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

Kay: Recorded since 1945, it reached #39 in 1952, and it stood at #3,970 in 2022.

5registrars recorded it
113times a registrar ranked it
78years from first to last
#39highest recorded position
23groupings it qualifies for

Region

Falling

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2022

View as table

England and Wales · Girls rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#448
1997	#598
1998	#542
1999	#721
2000	#712
2001	#696
2002	#1372
2003	#1083
2004	#1312
2005	#1121
2006	#1862
2007	#1741
2008	#2487
2009	#3422
2010	#3156
2011	#2636
2012	#2338
2013	#4050
2014	#3160
2015	#2945
2016	#4763
2017	#2706
2018	#5666
2022	#3970

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 Norway in 50 of the 52 years from 1945 to 1996.

In 2015: #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland, #2945 among girls in England and Wales.

Official data from 5 national registrars across 5 regions, 1945–2022 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1945
First recorded at #286 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1963
Highest recorded position: #39 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1963).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #3970 among girls in England and Wales, in 2022.
England and Wales · Girls

Kay appears in 6 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Norway · Boys, which has ranked it in 50 years beginning in 1945, and has registered 843 births with the name.

Kay across 6 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.

Kay'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
Norway · Boys	#286 (1945)	#147 (1981)	#525 (1996)	50 of 52	843 (1945–1996)	51 (1981)
Republic of Ireland · Girls	#522 (1978)	#498 (2001)	#896 (2015)	7 of 38	23 (1978–2015)	4 (2001)
England and Wales · Girls	#448 (1996)	#448 (1996)	#3970 (2022)	24 of 27	443 (1996–2022)	66 (1996)
England and Wales · Boys	#3225 (2002)	#3225 (2002)	#4702 (2019)	8 of 18	26 (2002–2019)	4 (2014)
New South Wales, Australia · Girls	#39 (1952)	#39 (1952)	#92 (1963)	12 of 12	1,652 (1952–1963)	247 (1952)
New Zealand · Girls	#54 (1954)	#54 (1954)	#96 (1965)	12 of 12	1,205 (1954–1965)	123 (1961)

Kay by decade in Norway · 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 Kay in Norway · Boys, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1940s	42	4 of 10	11
1950s	126	10 of 10	13
1960s	154	10 of 10	15
1970sbusiest	237	10 of 10	24
1980s	236	10 of 10	24
1990s	48	6 of 10	8

Across Norway · Boys, the 1970s were its busiest decade, averaging 24 births a year.

See the names Norwayhas recorded the most births with →

Kay 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 1945 to 2022. Highest recorded position: #39 in New South Wales, Australia in 1952.

Kay'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
2022	England and Wales	female	#3970	5	High	Verified
2019	England and Wales	male	#4702	3	High	Verified
2018	England and Wales	female	#5666	3	High	Verified
2018	England and Wales	male	#3959	4	High	Verified
2017	England and Wales	female	#2706	9	High	Verified
2016	England and Wales	female	#4763	4	High	Verified
2015	England and Wales	female	#2945	8	High	Verified
2015	England and Wales	male	#4747	3	High	Verified
2014	England and Wales	female	#3160	7	High	Verified
2014	England and Wales	male	#3895	4	High	Verified
2013	England and Wales	female	#4050	5	High	Verified
2012	England and Wales	female	#2338	11	High	Verified
2011	England and Wales	female	#2636	9	High	Verified
2010	England and Wales	female	#3156	7	High	Verified
2009	England and Wales	female	#3422	6	High	Verified
2009	England and Wales	male	#4527	3	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	female	#2487	9	High	Verified
2007	England and Wales	female	#1741	14	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	female	#1862	12	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	male	#4052	3	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	female	#1121	22	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	male	#3849	3	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	female	#1312	17	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	female	#1083	21	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	female	#1372	14	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	male	#3225	3	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	female	#696	36	High	Verified
2000	England and Wales	female	#712	33	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	female	#721	32	High	Verified
1998	England and Wales	female	#542	50	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	female	#598	43	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	female	#448	66	High	Verified
1963	New South Wales, Australia	female	#92	84	Insufficient	Not yet available
1962	New South Wales, Australia	female	#92	92	Insufficient	Not yet available
1961	New South Wales, Australia	female	#89	93	Insufficient	Not yet available
1960	New South Wales, Australia	female	#86	97	Insufficient	Not yet available
1959	New South Wales, Australia	female	#93	84	Insufficient	Not yet available
1958	New South Wales, Australia	female	#67	132	Insufficient	Not yet available
1957	New South Wales, Australia	female	#71	123	Insufficient	Not yet available
1956	New South Wales, Australia	female	#64	137	Insufficient	Not yet available
1955	New South Wales, Australia	female	#56	166	Insufficient	Not yet available
1954	New South Wales, Australia	female	#48	189	Insufficient	Not yet available
1953	New South Wales, Australia	female	#45	208	Insufficient	Not yet available
1952	New South Wales, Australia	female	#39	247	Insufficient	Not yet available
1965	New Zealand	female	#96	65	High	Verified
1964	New Zealand	female	#99	68	High	Verified
1963	New Zealand	female	#89	83	High	Verified
1962	New Zealand	female	#74	110	High	Verified
1961	New Zealand	female	#65	123	High	Verified
1960	New Zealand	female	#66	112	High	Verified
1959	New Zealand	female	#77	96	High	Verified
1958	New Zealand	female	#62	116	High	Verified
1957	New Zealand	female	#68	99	High	Verified
1956	New Zealand	female	#61	100	High	Verified
1955	New Zealand	female	#55	117	High	Verified
1954	New Zealand	female	#54	116	High	Verified
1996	Norway	male	#525	5	High	Verified
1994	Norway	male	#448	7	High	Verified
1993	Norway	male	#466	7	High	Verified
1992	Norway	male	#430	8	High	Verified
1991	Norway	male	#581	5	High	Verified
1990	Norway	male	#303	16	High	Verified
1989	Norway	male	#375	12	High	Verified
1988	Norway	male	#426	10	High	Verified
1987	Norway	male	#325	14	High	Verified
1986	Norway	male	#312	16	High	Verified
1985	Norway	male	#273	19	High	Verified
1984	Norway	male	#335	14	High	Verified
1983	Norway	male	#195	32	High	Verified
1982	Norway	male	#203	31	High	Verified
1981	Norway	male	#147	51	High	Verified
1980	Norway	male	#181	37	High	Verified
1979	Norway	male	#195	33	High	Verified
1978	Norway	male	#181	36	High	Verified
1977	Norway	male	#157	45	High	Verified
1976	Norway	male	#157	47	High	Verified
1975	Norway	male	#216	25	High	Verified
1974	Norway	male	#431	9	High	Verified
1973	Norway	male	#511	6	High	Verified
1972	Norway	male	#476	7	High	Verified
1971	Norway	male	#336	12	High	Verified
1970	Norway	male	#266	17	High	Verified
1969	Norway	male	#361	10	High	Verified
1968	Norway	male	#322	12	High	Verified
1967	Norway	male	#343	10	High	Verified
1966	Norway	male	#237	19	High	Verified
1965	Norway	male	#230	20	High	Verified
1964	Norway	male	#208	21	High	Verified
1963	Norway	male	#368	8	High	Verified
1962	Norway	male	#210	21	High	Verified
1961	Norway	male	#217	18	High	Verified
1960	Norway	male	#248	15	High	Verified
1959	Norway	male	#217	17	High	Verified
1958	Norway	male	#318	9	High	Verified
1957	Norway	male	#211	18	High	Verified
1956	Norway	male	#233	15	High	Verified
1955	Norway	male	#250	12	High	Verified
1954	Norway	male	#252	11	High	Verified
1953	Norway	male	#227	14	High	Verified
1952	Norway	male	#267	10	High	Verified
1951	Norway	male	#225	14	High	Verified
1950	Norway	male	#330	6	High	Verified
1948	Norway	male	#197	18	High	Verified
1947	Norway	male	#268	10	High	Verified
1946	Norway	male	#331	6	High	Verified
1945	Norway	male	#286	8	High	Verified
2015	Republic of Ireland	female	#896	3	High	Verified
2003	Republic of Ireland	female	#559	4	High	Verified
2001	Republic of Ireland	female	#498	4	High	Verified
1994	Republic of Ireland	female	#502	3	High	Verified
1989	Republic of Ireland	female	#503	3	High	Verified
1986	Republic of Ireland	female	#521	3	High	Verified
1978	Republic of Ireland	female	#522	3	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
New Zealand hub — collected by NZ Department of Internal Affairs
Norway hub — collected by Statistics Norway (SSB)
Republic of Ireland hub — collected by CSO Ireland

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

What the record shows

Recorded by 5 registrars between 1945 and 2022, ranked in 74 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #39, first reached in 1952.

It held a top-100 place in 14 years, 14 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 247 births, registered in New South Wales, Australia in 1952.

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 4 separate stretches, with a longest absence of 2 years.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1952, and 51 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.

Kavya · #1405, 23y
Kawthar · #1870, 26y
Kaya · #294, 29y
Kayaan · #1199, 17y

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.

Brenda · #41, 71y
Susanne · #41, 71y
Warren · #35, 73y
Gavin · #32, 72y

Also first recorded in the 1940s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1940 and 1949.

Agnes · #39, 81y
Fred · #39, 81y
Thor · #39, 81y
Ane · #40, 73y

Kay was ranked #39 in New South Wales, Australia · Girls in 1952. 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.

Kay 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 Kay without appearing here.

Kay moved ahead of

Donna Compare
In 2021 they stood at #5666 and #3518 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2022 that had become #3970 and #5669.
Madison Compare
In 2013 they stood at #4527 and #2318 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2014 that had become #3895 and #4632.
Karen Compare
In 2021 they stood at #5666 and #1490 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2022 that had become #3970 and #4645.
Tania Compare
In 2002 they stood at #498 and #498 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2003 that had become #559 and #655.

Moved ahead of Kay

Meabh Compare
In 2017 they stood at #2706 and #4063 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2018 that had become #5666 and #1711.
Teddy Compare
In 2017 they stood at #2706 and #3229 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2018 that had become #5666 and #2340.
Noah Compare
In 2017 they stood at #2706 and #3583 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2018 that had become #5666 and #2499.
Finley Compare
In 2017 they stood at #2706 and #3583 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2018 that had become #5666 and #2674.

Moved the opposite way to Kay

Anders Compare
Between 1945 and 1996 in Norway · Boys, Kay went from #286 to #525 while Anders went from #55 to #17.
Andreas Compare
Between 1945 and 1996 in Norway · Boys, Kay went from #286 to #525 while Andreas went from #140 to #2.
Christian Compare
Between 1945 and 1996 in Norway · Boys, Kay went from #286 to #525 while Christian went from #161 to #30.
Daniel Compare
Between 1945 and 1996 in Norway · Boys, Kay went from #286 to #525 while Daniel went from #280 to #3.

Moved the same way as Kay

Alfred Compare
Between 1945 and 1996 in Norway · Boys, Kay went from #286 to #525 and Alfred from #127 to #339.
Arild Compare
Between 1945 and 1996 in Norway · Boys, Kay went from #286 to #525 and Arild from #32 to #221.
Arne Compare
Between 1945 and 1996 in Norway · Boys, Kay went from #286 to #525 and Arne from #6 to #120.
Arthur Compare
Between 1945 and 1996 in Norway · Boys, Kay went from #286 to #525 and Arthur from #153 to #282.

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 1945 to 2022. Highest recorded position: #39 in New South Wales, Australia in 1952. Source data last verified 2026-07-25.

Kay

Kay at a glance

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Kay across 6 official records

Kay by decade in Norway · Boys

Kay appears in

Popularity data

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1940s

Names published alongside Kay

Kay and the names beside it

Kay moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Kay

Moved the opposite way to Kay

Moved the same way as Kay

Kay at a glance

Kay across 6 official records

Kay by decade in Norway · Boys

Kay appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1940s

Names published alongside Kay

Kay and the names beside it

Kay moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Kay

Moved the opposite way to Kay

Moved the same way as Kay