Nay
Masculine
Nay is given to both — 78 boys and 11 girls since 1880. See other names given to both
Nay entered the US charts in 1921, peaked at #3517 in 1921, is rarely given in 2025 — given to only a few children a year.
How old is the name Nay?
Nay first appears in US birth records in 1921 — 104 years ago. The typical Nay is a kid of about 10 — this name's wave is very recent. Fewer than a hundred people named Nay are estimated to be alive in the US today — a true one-of-a-kind name.
When was the name Nay most popular?
Nay peaked in 1921, reaching #3517 nationally. See the whole 1921 chart.
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1921
- Most boys named
- 20159 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #3517reached in 1921
- Change vs 2020
- +12.5%9 in 2021, from 8
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Nays among us
Fewer than a hundred people named Nay are estimated to be alive in the US today — a true one-of-a-kind name.
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Nay sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
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Nay
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Nays are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. Fewer than a hundred people named Nay are estimated to be alive in the US today — a true one-of-a-kind name.
- How popular is the name Nay in 2025?
- Nay is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Nay with classmates?
- Nay will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More N names
The most-given names starting with N, all years combined.
Nicholas#112 · Nathan#63 · Noah#2 · Nathaniel#140 · Norman#1196 · Nolan#65 · Neil#850 · Nicolas#177
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Nay? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Nay and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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