Fun Facts About the Name Faye
- More than 72 thousand babies named Faye: U.S. records list 72,656 babies given the name Faye from 1880 through 2025. Even 518 boys received the name Faye - about 1 boy for every 139 girls.
What Does the Name Faye Mean?
Faye is an English given name meaning "fairy." It comes from the Middle English faie (also spelled fay), a word for a fairy or an enchanted being. That word was borrowed from Old French fae (also fee), which descends from Vulgar Latin Fata, a singular form of Latin fata, the Fates - the three goddesses of destiny - from fatum, "fate." The literal sense of the name is therefore "fairy"; ideas of enchantment or charm are later associations rather than the etymology.
Faye Name History & Origins
The word behind the name entered English in the Middle Ages as faie or fay, meaning a fairy or supernatural being. It appears in medieval literature: in the Arthurian stories, the sorceress Morgan le Fay carries the epithet le Fay, "the fairy." The word also survived as a surname, and from it the personal name Faye developed, along with the shorter spelling Fay. Faye became a recognizable girl's name in the English-speaking world in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is sometimes treated as a variant of the name Faith, but the two have separate origins.
How Popular is the Name Faye?
Faye recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1943. Its best rank was #146 in 1934.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #515 | 579 | 0.0360% |
| 2024 | #538 | 559 | 0.0347% |
| 2023 | #500 | 612 | 0.0382% |
| 2022 | #564 | 537 | 0.0328% |
| 2021 | #602 | 496 | 0.0302% |
| 2020 | #687 | 414 | 0.0256% |
| 2019 | #695 | 416 | 0.0248% |
| 2018 | #701 | 415 | 0.0244% |
| 2017 | #709 | 405 | 0.0235% |
| 2016 | #822 | 349 | 0.0197% |
| 2015 | #930 | 292 | 0.0164% |
| 2014 | #913 | 297 | 0.0166% |
| 2013 | #1,010 | 247 | 0.0141% |
| 2012 | #1,070 | 234 | 0.0133% |
| 2011 | #1,475 | 152 | 0.0086% |
| 2010 | #1,415 | 162 | 0.0091% |
| 2009 | #1,633 | 137 | 0.0075% |
| 2008 | #1,623 | 140 | 0.0074% |
| 2007 | #1,774 | 121 | 0.0063% |
| 2006 | #1,836 | 111 | 0.0058% |
| 2005 | #1,536 | 134 | 0.0073% |
| 2004 | #1,740 | 111 | 0.0060% |
| 2003 | #2,132 | 82 | 0.0045% |
| 2002 | #1,774 | 102 | 0.0057% |
| 2001 | #2,000 | 85 | 0.0047% |
| 2000 | #2,002 | 83 | 0.0046% |
| 1999 | #2,378 | 62 | 0.0035% |
| 1998 | #2,507 | 55 | 0.0031% |
| 1997 | #2,336 | 57 | 0.0033% |
| 1996 | #2,567 | 49 | 0.0028% |
| 1995 | #2,698 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 1994 | #2,270 | 58 | 0.0032% |
| 1993 | #2,276 | 57 | 0.0032% |
| 1992 | #1,720 | 87 | 0.0047% |
| 1991 | #1,903 | 74 | 0.0039% |
| 1990 | #1,897 | 74 | 0.0039% |
| 1989 | #1,705 | 80 | 0.0043% |
| 1988 | #1,896 | 65 | 0.0036% |
| 1987 | #1,451 | 90 | 0.0052% |
| 1986 | #1,250 | 109 | 0.0064% |
| 1985 | #1,252 | 109 | 0.0063% |
| 1984 | #1,127 | 122 | 0.0072% |
| 1983 | #1,305 | 93 | 0.0056% |
| 1982 | #1,108 | 127 | 0.0075% |
| 1981 | #1,019 | 142 | 0.0085% |
| 1980 | #1,127 | 121 | 0.0073% |
| 1979 | #907 | 164 | 0.0102% |
| 1978 | #920 | 154 | 0.0101% |
| 1977 | #954 | 145 | 0.0095% |
| 1976 | #993 | 128 | 0.0087% |
| 1975 | #920 | 141 | 0.0097% |
| 1974 | #872 | 149 | 0.0102% |
| 1973 | #960 | 125 | 0.0086% |
| 1972 | #849 | 153 | 0.0101% |
| 1971 | #750 | 195 | 0.0117% |
| 1970 | #730 | 204 | 0.0117% |
| 1969 | #654 | 234 | 0.0139% |
| 1968 | #614 | 245 | 0.0149% |
| 1967 | #602 | 249 | 0.0151% |
| 1966 | #574 | 270 | 0.0160% |
| 1965 | #519 | 338 | 0.0191% |
| 1964 | #464 | 437 | 0.0231% |
| 1963 | #445 | 477 | 0.0247% |
| 1962 | #415 | 555 | 0.0282% |
| 1961 | #377 | 657 | 0.0326% |
| 1960 | #337 | 782 | 0.0387% |
| 1959 | #341 | 772 | 0.0382% |
| 1958 | #312 | 856 | 0.0426% |
| 1957 | #298 | 941 | 0.0460% |
| 1956 | #279 | 974 | 0.0485% |
| 1955 | #263 | 1,029 | 0.0526% |
| 1954 | #245 | 1,097 | 0.0565% |
| 1953 | #253 | 1,029 | 0.0547% |
| 1952 | #226 | 1,221 | 0.0658% |
| 1951 | #219 | 1,237 | 0.0687% |
| 1950 | #211 | 1,271 | 0.0742% |
| 1949 | #207 | 1,292 | 0.0755% |
| 1948 | #200 | 1,345 | 0.0792% |
| 1947 | #193 | 1,383 | 0.0780% |
| 1946 | #182 | 1,422 | 0.0905% |
| 1945 | #169 | 1,376 | 0.1053% |
| 1944 | #165 | 1,353 | 0.1019% |
| 1943 | #163 | 1,468 | 0.1052% |
| 1942 | #175 | 1,304 | 0.0965% |
| 1941 | #160 | 1,377 | 0.1140% |
| 1940 | #153 | 1,391 | 0.1216% |
| 1939 | #161 | 1,328 | 0.1211% |
| 1938 | #162 | 1,323 | 0.1199% |
| 1937 | #160 | 1,300 | 0.1222% |
| 1936 | #162 | 1,215 | 0.1168% |
| 1935 | #161 | 1,257 | 0.1199% |
| 1934 | #146 | 1,420 | 0.1360% |
| 1933 | #153 | 1,202 | 0.1193% |
| 1932 | #159 | 1,223 | 0.1146% |
| 1931 | #158 | 1,188 | 0.1116% |
| 1930 | #177 | 1,099 | 0.0976% |
| 1929 | #183 | 1,080 | 0.0967% |
| 1928 | #192 | 1,078 | 0.0935% |
| 1927 | #187 | 1,093 | 0.0917% |
| 1926 | #173 | 1,219 | 0.1028% |
| 1925 | #201 | 1,011 | 0.0830% |
| 1924 | #212 | 920 | 0.0737% |
| 1923 | #203 | 984 | 0.0816% |
| 1922 | #210 | 924 | 0.0769% |
| 1921 | #202 | 989 | 0.0802% |
| 1920 | #208 | 935 | 0.0780% |
| 1919 | #202 | 925 | 0.0818% |
| 1918 | #206 | 932 | 0.0805% |
| 1917 | #197 | 931 | 0.0861% |
| 1916 | #204 | 865 | 0.0828% |
| 1915 | #209 | 790 | 0.0803% |
| 1914 | #199 | 663 | 0.0871% |
| 1913 | #194 | 561 | 0.0898% |
| 1912 | #208 | 459 | 0.0822% |
| 1911 | #184 | 388 | 0.0928% |
| 1910 | #208 | 312 | 0.0787% |
| 1909 | #217 | 261 | 0.0752% |
| 1908 | #184 | 311 | 0.0930% |
| 1907 | #194 | 268 | 0.0841% |
| 1906 | #199 | 239 | 0.0809% |
| 1905 | #228 | 189 | 0.0648% |
| 1904 | #205 | 214 | 0.0777% |
| 1903 | #220 | 190 | 0.0725% |
| 1902 | #220 | 183 | 0.0693% |
| 1901 | #226 | 161 | 0.0673% |
| 1900 | #229 | 194 | 0.0647% |
| 1899 | #251 | 125 | 0.0536% |
| 1898 | #238 | 153 | 0.0591% |
| 1897 | #225 | 148 | 0.0632% |
| 1896 | #240 | 132 | 0.0555% |
| 1895 | #260 | 118 | 0.0505% |
| 1894 | #246 | 121 | 0.0543% |
| 1893 | #256 | 107 | 0.0503% |
| 1892 | #271 | 97 | 0.0457% |
| 1891 | #298 | 70 | 0.0377% |
| 1890 | #329 | 59 | 0.0310% |
| 1889 | #336 | 55 | 0.0308% |
| 1888 | #320 | 56 | 0.0314% |
| 1887 | #330 | 42 | 0.0288% |
| 1886 | #357 | 36 | 0.0249% |
| 1885 | #376 | 30 | 0.0225% |
| 1884 | #419 | 23 | 0.0178% |
| 1883 | #529 | 14 | 0.0125% |
| 1882 | #410 | 20 | 0.0185% |
| 1881 | #494 | 12 | 0.0131% |
| 1880 | #647 | 8 | 0.0088% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | #3,754 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1959 | #4,186 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1958 | #3,123 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1957 | #3,349 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #2,855 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1954 | #3,027 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1953 | #3,997 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1952 | #3,189 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1951 | #2,913 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1950 | #2,855 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1948 | #2,860 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1947 | #2,414 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1945 | #2,632 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1944 | #3,591 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1943 | #2,455 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1942 | #2,429 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1941 | #3,672 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1940 | #1,702 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1939 | #2,678 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1938 | #2,016 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1937 | #2,557 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1936 | #2,221 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1935 | #3,386 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1934 | #2,817 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1933 | #1,942 | 14 | 0.0014% |
| 1932 | #1,676 | 19 | 0.0018% |
| 1931 | #2,540 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1930 | #2,219 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1929 | #3,075 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1928 | #3,180 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1927 | #2,071 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1926 | #2,234 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1925 | #2,817 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1924 | #2,078 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1923 | #2,261 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1922 | #2,385 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1921 | #2,291 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1920 | #2,256 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1919 | #2,093 | 15 | 0.0015% |
| 1918 | #2,024 | 16 | 0.0016% |
| 1917 | #2,120 | 14 | 0.0015% |
| 1916 | #1,879 | 16 | 0.0018% |
| 1915 | #1,573 | 20 | 0.0024% |
| 1914 | #2,747 | 7 | 0.0011% |
| 1913 | #1,528 | 13 | 0.0025% |
| 1912 | #1,941 | 8 | 0.0019% |
| 1911 | #1,605 | 6 | 0.0027% |
| 1909 | #1,531 | 5 | 0.0030% |
| 1903 | #1,183 | 5 | 0.0042% |
| 1902 | #1,193 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1901 | #1,109 | 5 | 0.0047% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Faye Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are kind, home-loving, hospitable and friendly. Since you take responsibility well, you are a good organizer of social affairs. Compassion for others is an outstanding trait. You are a great lover and a great flirt – an artist, musician, actor, teacher, nurse. Your character can be contradictory. You are practical, yet idealistic and intuitive; capable of selfless devotion to someone you love, yet look to receive payback. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Faye's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Faye's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.