Gay
Meaning
from the English word gay, meaning joyful or carefree, from Old French gai; use as a first name faded after the word's meaning shifted
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Gay peaked in the 1930s and the 1960s in nearly equal measure.
When you meet Gay
Most people given the name Gay in the United States were born between 1940 and 1969. The Gay you meet today is most often in her 60s or 70s.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Gay deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Gay truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Gay fits with your family’s names and surname.
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