Shay
- US rank
- #1,225
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #889 in 1971
184 babies were named Shay in the US in 2025. It has dropped 293 places in five years.
Found on lists
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US births per million girls, 1953–2025
US births per million boys, 1932–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Shay you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Shay
Shay Given
Irish association football player
Choose Shay and your child shares a first name with Shay Given, an Irish association football player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Shay, like who?” Shay Given's Wikipedia article is available in 50 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Shay Given on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: James English, CC BY 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 8,734 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Shay, 184 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Shay would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryShay first shows up in US birth records in 1932, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 93 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 1971, when it reached #889.
- TrendShay has slipped 293 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,225. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedShay is most popular in Pennsylvania, where it ranks #615, followed by Minnesota (#659) and Massachusetts (#682). It's in the top 1,000 in 6 states.
- Boy or girlShay is given to both boys and girls: 70% of the 261 babies named Shay in 2025 were girls. That makes it one of the names that truly works for either.
About the name Shay
Shay is a gender-neutral name of Irish origin. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with S and ending in “-hay”. US birth records list Shay for girls from 1953 to 2025, in 73 of those 73 years. Its best year was 1971, when it ranked #889 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,225, with 184 babies. Of the 261 US babies named Shay in 2025, 70% were girls and 30% were boys.
Origin:Irish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.9 | 253,623 girls |
| 1960s | 15 | 64,809 girls |
| 1970s | 70 | 14,253 girls |
| 1980s | 62 | 16,093 girls |
| 1990s | 81 | 12,381 girls |
| 2000s | 72 | 13,951 girls |
| 2010s | 83 | 12,057 girls |
| 2020s | 157 | 6,386 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0.6 | 1,666,667 boys |
| 1950s | 0.7 | 1,408,451 boys |
| 1960s | 9.4 | 106,724 boys |
| 1970s | 44 | 22,624 boys |
| 1980s | 46 | 21,954 boys |
| 1990s | 59 | 17,021 boys |
| 2000s | 43 | 23,403 boys |
| 2010s | 37 | 27,034 boys |
| 2020s | 54 | 18,422 boys |
Other spellings of Shay
More Irish names
- Boy name: Liam · resolute protector
- Unisex name: Owen · well-born
- Girl name: Abigail · my father is joy
- Unisex name: Riley · rye clearing
- Unisex name: Logan · little hollow
- Unisex name: Nolan · descendant of Nuallán
- Girl name: Maeve · she who intoxicates
- Unisex name: Kennedy · helmeted head
Questions about the name Shay
What is the origin of the name Shay?
Shay has Irish roots in our records. Other Irish names include Liam, Owen, Abigail.
Is Shay a boy or girl name?
Both. Shay is used for boys and girls: in 2025, 70% of US babies named Shay were girls.
How popular is the name Shay?
Shay ranked #1,225 for US girls in 2025, given to 184 babies. Its best year was 1971 (#889).