U.S. first-name statistics

How common is Kay?

Kay was the #684 most frequent first name in the 2020 Census.

People with the first name Kay

77,013

About 1 in 4,304 Americans had this first name in the 2020 Census.

Measured, privacy-protected national Census count—not a total of historical baby-name records.

National rank

#684

More common than 98.7% of listed first names

Peak year

1942

3,718 SSA-recorded births

2025 births

47

#5,833 across first names

Census frequency

1 in 4,304

Across the 2020 U.S. population

Sex distribution

Reported in the 2020 Census first-name table.

3.0% male97.0% female

Demographic distribution

Aggregated race and Hispanic-origin reporting in the 2020 Census name table.

White, non-Hispanic84.8%
Black, non-Hispanic6.19%
American Indian / Alaska Native0.47%
Asian / Pacific Islander4.97%
Two or more races1.89%
Hispanic or Latino1.71%

Reading the result

Kay across two different records

The Census count answers “how many people had this name?” using a national snapshot of living residents in 2020. The SSA series answers “when was this name popular?” using Social Security card applications associated with births.

Kay reached its highest published annual SSA count in 1942, with 3,718 recorded births. In 2025, SSA recorded 47 babies with the name.

Names do not determine a person’s identity. Demographic percentages above describe national aggregates and should never be applied to an individual.

Add a last name

How many Kays share your full name?

Check Kay + a surname ↗