Irish origin
Source-reportedVariant of Shea, from Irish Ó Séaghdha.
Sources for this account (1)
- Wiktionary: ShayCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
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A name. A world of connections.
Irish roots
No sourced pronunciation yet
01 / Meaning & origin
Shay is a unisex given name documented in English. English Wiktionary traces it to Irish Ó Séaghdha.
Separate records with matching spellings: Shay (English)
Variant of Shea, from Irish Ó Séaghdha.
02 / Across borders
Explore published naming statistics and documented language connections around the world.
The name atlas
15
countries in our sources
Select a country to follow Shay’s connections around the world.
10 countries with published statistics. Language records show cultural connections; they do not measure how common a name is.
Selected country
Statistics + language records
United States, 2025: 184 girls (rank 1225). Documented as a given name in English.
Explore United States4 of 15 countries
03 / By the numbers
Follow the spelling through the years, one published dataset at a time.
1880–2025 Spelling: Shay
Hover to explore a year. Use arrow keys when a chart point has focus.
Source: US Social Security Administration; redistributed by nkrishnaswami · SSA national baby names, 1880–2025 (CC0 redistribution)
Integer application counts retained without rounding.
Per million is unavailable: this source has no matching published total.
| Year | Applications | Rank | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1881 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1882 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1883 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1884 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1885 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1886 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1887 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1888 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1889 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1890 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1891 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1892 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1893 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1894 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1895 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1896 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1897 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1898 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1899 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1900 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1901 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1902 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1903 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1904 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1905 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1906 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1907 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1908 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1909 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1910 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1911 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1912 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1913 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1914 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1915 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1916 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1917 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1918 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1919 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1920 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1921 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1922 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1923 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1924 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1925 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1926 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1927 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1928 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1929 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1930 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1931 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1932 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1933 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1934 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1935 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1936 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1937 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1938 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1939 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1940 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1941 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1942 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1943 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1944 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1945 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1946 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1947 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1948 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1949 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1950 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1951 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1952 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1953 | 7 | 4,595 | observed |
| 1954 | 6 | 5,148 | observed |
| 1955 | 5 | 5,828 | observed |
| 1956 | 6 | 5,325 | observed |
| 1957 | 15 | 3,033 | observed |
| 1958 | 7 | 4,890 | observed |
| 1959 | 9 | 4,300 | observed |
| 1960 | 11 | 3,920 | observed |
| 1961 | 20 | 2,752 | observed |
| 1962 | 29 | 2,210 | observed |
| 1963 | 27 | 2,306 | observed |
| 1964 | 18 | 3,000 | observed |
| 1965 | 33 | 2,031 | observed |
| 1966 | 22 | 2,586 | observed |
| 1967 | 28 | 2,272 | observed |
| 1968 | 34 | 2,056 | observed |
| 1969 | 53 | 1,648 | observed |
| 1970 | 133 | 953 | observed |
| 1971 | 149 | 889 | observed |
| 1972 | 116 | 1,012 | observed |
| 1973 | 115 | 1,015 | observed |
| 1974 | 130 | 950 | observed |
| 1975 | 98 | 1,175 | observed |
| 1976 | 84 | 1,297 | observed |
| 1977 | 65 | 1,621 | observed |
| 1978 | 107 | 1,176 | observed |
| 1979 | 89 | 1,377 | observed |
| 1980 | 134 | 1,059 | observed |
| 1981 | 116 | 1,155 | observed |
| 1982 | 99 | 1,284 | observed |
| 1983 | 92 | 1,311 | observed |
| 1984 | 97 | 1,284 | observed |
| 1985 | 93 | 1,382 | observed |
| 1986 | 92 | 1,392 | observed |
| 1987 | 114 | 1,240 | observed |
| 1988 | 106 | 1,345 | observed |
| 1989 | 124 | 1,267 | observed |
| 1990 | 128 | 1,272 | observed |
| 1991 | 117 | 1,375 | observed |
| 1992 | 129 | 1,305 | observed |
| 1993 | 127 | 1,318 | observed |
| 1994 | 157 | 1,137 | observed |
| 1995 | 161 | 1,100 | observed |
| 1996 | 158 | 1,149 | observed |
| 1997 | 157 | 1,169 | observed |
| 1998 | 148 | 1,228 | observed |
| 1999 | 167 | 1,164 | observed |
| 2000 | 157 | 1,245 | observed |
| 2001 | 125 | 1,499 | observed |
| 2002 | 140 | 1,376 | observed |
| 2003 | 131 | 1,486 | observed |
| 2004 | 141 | 1,448 | observed |
| 2005 | 123 | 1,631 | observed |
| 2006 | 122 | 1,709 | observed |
| 2007 | 127 | 1,713 | observed |
| 2008 | 148 | 1,554 | observed |
| 2009 | 109 | 1,914 | observed |
| 2010 | 112 | 1,818 | observed |
| 2011 | 102 | 1,943 | observed |
| 2012 | 84 | 2,232 | observed |
| 2013 | 115 | 1,775 | observed |
| 2014 | 144 | 1,519 | observed |
| 2015 | 172 | 1,372 | observed |
| 2016 | 171 | 1,371 | observed |
| 2017 | 180 | 1,303 | observed |
| 2018 | 168 | 1,338 | observed |
| 2019 | 199 | 1,180 | observed |
| 2020 | 277 | 932 | observed |
| 2021 | 300 | 901 | observed |
| 2022 | 301 | 910 | observed |
| 2023 | 255 | 996 | observed |
| 2024 | 208 | 1,156 | observed |
| 2025 | 184 | 1,225 | observed |
Statistics count the spelling “Shay” as recorded by the publisher. When a spelling has several independent origins, the counts are not split between them. Counts measure applications. Gaps are years without a published value, not zeros.
Rates per million are unavailable for this series because no compatible denominator has been imported.
Retrieved 2026-10-15 · CC0-1.0
Read our methodology04 / Through time
People recorded with this given name in Wikidata. Their names may use a different spelling, or include it as a middle or baptismal name.
Irish association football player
American pornographic actress
American actress, singer-songwriter
A little story to keep
Take the story of Shay with you. Create a personal name passport with its meaning, roots and connections.
06 / Behind the facts
Review status: Source-reported — no editorial review recorded yet. Last data change 2026-10-15.
SSA national baby names, 1880–2025 (CC0 redistribution)
US Social Security Administration; redistributed by nkrishnaswami · CC0-1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Ireland — babies' first names with three or more occurrences, 1964–2025
Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · CC-BY-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
National Records of Scotland — Babies' First Names: all first forenames given to 3 or more babies, Scotland, 1974-2025
National Records of Scotland (NRS) · OGL-UK-3.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
NISRA — First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland, 1997-2025 (full list)
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) · OGL-UK-3.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
South Australia — Popular Baby Names, per-year lists including names given once, 1944-2017
Attorney-General's Department, South Australia (via data.sa.gov.au) · CC-BY-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Fichier des prénoms — édition 2026 (naissances 1900 à 2025), fichier national
Insee (Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques) · LO-2.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
Ontario first baby names, 1913–2023 (verified redistribution)
Government of Ontario; redistributed by helloharun · OGL-ON-1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
British Columbia — 100 Years of Popular Baby Names (first names used 5 or more times), 1926-2025
Government of British Columbia, Vital Statistics Agency · OGL-BC (Open Government License - British Columbia; version not stated on the page) · retrieved 2026-10-15
Ontario top baby names, historical archive 1917–2013
Government of Ontario (Office of the Registrar General) · OGL-ON-1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Statistik Austria — Vornamen (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1): first names of live births, Austria, 1984-2025 (national counts from district rows)
Statistik Austria (Bundesanstalt Statistik Österreich) · CC-BY-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Baby names in England and Wales: 2025 (boys and girls workbooks, Table 6: all published names)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) · OGL-UK-3.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
Spain — first names of residents, census snapshot 2025-01-01
Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain · CC-BY-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Netherlands — SVB newborn names from child-benefit administration, 2017–2025
Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB), Netherlands · Dutch public-sector database reuse assessment; no standard publisher licence stated · retrieved 2026-10-15
Finland — first given names of living Finnish citizens in Finland or abroad, 2026-08-03
Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland · CC-BY-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Wiktionary text: CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikidata: CC0. Commons recordings retain their individual file licences. Complete attribution is available in each group above and alongside each chart.
