Fay

♀ Girl

Pronounced FAY /ˈfeɪ/High

Meaning: Fairy; from Old French fae, the enchanted folk of medieval romanceHigh

In 30 seconds: One syllable of pure enchantment: Fay is the old word for fairy — the fae of medieval romance — with a side-glance at Faith. Morgan le Fay approves.

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Origin HighEnglish, French

MeaningFairy; from Old French fae, the enchanted folk of medieval romance

U.S. rank (2025)#3795 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births39 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1926

Total births (all-time)≈ 32,058

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Fay comes from Old French fae — fairy, the enchanted beings of romance literature, ultimately from Latin fata, the Fates. It entered regular use as a given name in the late nineteenth century, when tiny vintage names flourished, and doubles for some families as a nod to Faith.

Hollywood's Fay Wray — the original beauty in King Kong's fist — gave the name its screen-siren era, and the Faye spelling (Faye Dunaway) followed. Plain Fay is now a rare, fairy-light choice riding the revival of one-syllable vintage names like Mae and June.

Did you know? King Arthur's sorceress half-sister Morgan le Fay literally bears the title 'Morgan the Fairy' — medieval proof of this name's magical credentials.

Overall data confidence 88%

Behind the Name — Fay — etymology

Variations

FayeFaeFey

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Fay Wray (1907–2004)
Canadian-American actress immortalized as the heroine of King Kong (1933).

If you like Fay…

Faye— the e-spelling made famous by Faye Dunaway

Mae— a fellow one-syllable vintage gem

June— another single-syllable sweetheart in revival

Fern— shares the tiny nature-magic register

Explore names like Fay

By themevintage short-and-sweet magical

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Fay mean?

Fay comes from the Old French word for 'fairy'; it also serves for some families as a short form of Faith.

How do you pronounce Fay?

It's said FAY /ˈfeɪ/ — a single syllable.

Is Fay a boy or girl name?

Fay is a girl's name.

How popular is Fay?

Fay is a rare vintage name in the U.S. today.