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Gay
How to Pronounce Gay
Pronounced GAY /ΛΙ‘eΙͺ/High
Meaning: Gay derives from the old sense of the English word gay, 'merry, bright, lighthearted', which entered English from Old French gai; it also existed as an English surname, and both routes fed its use as a given name in the early twentieth century.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Gay comes from the once-common sense of the English word 'gay', meaning merry, bright or lighthearted, a sense borrowed from Old French gai. It also stood as an English surname, and both paths led a few families to use it as a boy's given name in the early twentieth century.
It was never a frequent choice, reaching a modest high around 1941 of only a few dozen boys a year; its use as a first name faded through the later twentieth century as the word's everyday meaning changed. The entry records that history plainly, without further comment.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Gay mean?
Gay comes from the older sense of the English word 'gay', meaning merry, bright or lighthearted; it was also a surname.
How do you pronounce Gay?
It's said GAY /ΛΙ‘eΙͺ/ β one syllable.
Is Gay a boy or girl name?
This entry records Gay as a boy's given name, as it was used in the early twentieth century.
How popular is Gay?
Gay saw modest use as a given name in the early-to-mid twentieth century and became rare in the later part of it.