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The short answer
Jay is a masculine name used in English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "Short form of names beginning with the sound J, such as James or Jason. It was originally used in America in honour of founding father John Jay (1749-1825), whose surname was derived from the jaybird." It ranked #392 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, short form of names beginning with the sound J, such as James or Jason. It was originally used in America in honour of founding father John Jay (1749-1825), whose surname was derived from the jaybird. The entry lists its usage as English.
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Jay ranked #392 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #392 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Jay in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Jay mean?
Behind the Name does not give Jay a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: short form of names beginning with the sound J, such as James or Jason.
Is Jay a popular name?
Jay ranked #392 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Jay a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Jay appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Jay (1) — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
