Meaning and history
Kay has several origins. In English it is often a short form of Katherine or names beginning with K, while in Arthurian legend Sir Kay is King Arthur's foster brother and seneschal. The spelling has also been used independently for both sexes. Notable bearers include actress Kay Francis and computer pioneer Kay McNulty.
20062006: 63 births, rank #2,778
2007: 66 births, rank #2,750
2008: 46 births, rank #3,529
2009: 41 births, rank #3,800
2010: 47 births, rank #3,409
20112011: 47 births, rank #3,407
2012: 52 births, rank #3,169
2013: 51 births, rank #3,166
2014: 60 births, rank #2,843
2015: 43 births, rank #3,595
20162016: 47 births, rank #3,379
2017: 51 births, rank #3,145
2018: 63 births, rank #2,711
2019: 43 births, rank #3,552
2020: 42 births, rank #3,546
20212021: 42 births, rank #3,614
2022: 47 births, rank #3,365
2023: 48 births, rank #3,329
2024: 38 births, rank #3,892
20252025: 37 births, rank #3,903
Kay moved from #975 to #983 for girls between 1983 and 1984. Its highest annual birth count came in 1942, with 3,622 births.