Kaye
A variant of Kay, used in English both as a short form of Katherine and as the name of Sir Kay, King Arthur's foster brother in medieval romance.
Kaye in 2025
Kaye was given to 18 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 11,192nd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 184,186 babies born.
The history of Kaye
Kaye reached its highest point in 1947, when 547 babies were given the name, ranking 628th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 593rd, in 1943.
Across the 125 years of records since 1901, 13,707 babies have been named Kaye. Half of them were born before 1950, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Kaye by decade
| Decade | Babies named Kaye | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 18 | 2,386 |
| 1910s | 181 | 2,152 |
| 1920s | 355 | 2,058 |
| 1930s | 1,770 | 653 |
| 1940s | 4,414 | 593 |
| 1950s | 3,570 | 728 |
| 1960s | 2,008 | 993 |
| 1970s | 495 | 2,029 |
| 1980s | 374 | 3,186 |
| 1990s | 209 | 5,699 |
| 2000s | 138 | 8,609 |
| 2010s | 101 | 12,442 |
| 2020s | 74 | 11,192 |
Where Kaye is heading
Kaye has risen 13% over the past decade, from 16 babies in 2015 to 18 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1947 peak — Kaye is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Kaye
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Kaye.