Fay

Did you know?

A few things about Fay you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Fay

Fay Bainter

American actress (1893–1968)

Choose Fay and your child shares a first name with Fay Bainter, an American actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Fay, like who?” Fay Bainter's Wikipedia article is available in 51 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Fay Bainter on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Arnold Genthe, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 41,152 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Fay, 39 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Fay would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryFay has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Fays, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1907, when it ranked #202. Today it's #3,780, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🚀TrendFay has climbed 389 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #3,780. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 💬MeaningIn English, Fay means “fairy”. Our records link it to English and French roots.

About the name Fay

Fay is a girl name of English and French origin meaning “fairy”. It has 3 letters and 1 syllable, starting with F and ending in “-fay”. US birth records list Fay for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1907, when it ranked #202 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #3,780, with 39 babies.

Origin:English namesFrench names