Fay is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Fay means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Fay across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Fay has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Fay is a girl name of English origin meaning “fairy”. A variant spelling of Faye.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 36,177 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,076 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 148 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 7 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 61 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Fay per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1915 (842/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (91/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1976 (10/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2005 (8/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2004 (4/yr).
Fay has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1915, when it ranked #342 nationally (given to 842 babies that year).
Faye · Fae · Foy · Foye · Fia · Vayu · Vy · Vay
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