Kay is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Kay means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Kay across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Kay has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Kay is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “pure”. A short form of Katherine.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 102,545 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 472 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 566 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 23 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 1,205 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 Kay per year, United States (1882 to 2025). United States peaked in 1942 (3,718/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (66/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (43/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2001 (4/yr).
Kay has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1942, when it ranked #142 nationally (given to 3,718 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1940s.
Kai · Guy · Kaia · Koa · Kaye · Gay · Coy · Kaya
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