Fun Facts About the Name Kaye
- More than 13 thousand babies named Kaye: U.S. records list 13,706 babies given the name Kaye from 1880 through 2025. Even 503 boys received the name Kaye - about 1 boy for every 26 girls.
What Does the Name Kaye Mean?
Kaye is an English given name. It is often a variant spelling of Kay, a short form of Katherine; Katherine is traditionally explained as coming from Greek katharos, "pure," so Kaye is often glossed "pure." The English surname Kaye has a separate etymology from Old French kaye, "quay, wharf," and Kaye can also be a transferred use of that surname, giving the literal sense "quay." The Greek derivation of Katherine is conventional rather than certain.
Kaye Name History & Origins
The surname Kaye is an English family name; it can be a topographic or occupational name for someone associated with a quay, or a variant of Kay, which may come from the medieval personal name Kay. The personal name Kay is also familiar from Sir Kay, King Arthur's seneschal in Arthurian literature, whose Welsh form is Cai; the etymology of Cai is uncertain. Kaye later became a given name both as a transferred surname and as a feminine variant of Kay, the Katherine short form. The final e is a spelling variant and does not indicate a separate pronunciation or a distinct root.
How Popular is the Name Kaye?
Kaye recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1947. Its best rank was #322 in 1943.
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 | #6,442 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2024 | #9,208 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2023 | #12,785 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #7,455 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2021 | #8,258 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2020 | #9,903 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #8,364 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2018 | #10,182 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #12,196 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #12,316 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #7,438 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2014 | #10,539 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #10,618 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2012 | #10,835 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #18,185 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #10,828 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #14,460 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #8,741 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2007 | #12,148 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #8,990 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2005 | #8,104 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2004 | #7,241 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2003 | #7,784 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2002 | #6,870 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2001 | #7,971 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #5,230 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1999 | #7,029 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1998 | #6,890 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1997 | #4,177 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1996 | #5,919 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1995 | #5,562 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1994 | #5,129 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1993 | #3,632 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 1992 | #5,375 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1991 | #4,126 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1990 | #3,567 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1989 | #3,436 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1988 | #2,508 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 1987 | #3,214 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1986 | #3,013 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 1985 | #3,122 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1984 | #3,186 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 1983 | #2,289 | 42 | 0.0025% |
| 1982 | #2,232 | 45 | 0.0027% |
| 1981 | #2,214 | 46 | 0.0028% |
| 1980 | #2,028 | 52 | 0.0031% |
| 1979 | #2,695 | 33 | 0.0021% |
| 1978 | #2,287 | 40 | 0.0026% |
| 1977 | #2,635 | 32 | 0.0021% |
| 1976 | #2,226 | 38 | 0.0026% |
| 1975 | #2,182 | 39 | 0.0027% |
| 1974 | #2,153 | 38 | 0.0026% |
| 1973 | #1,743 | 51 | 0.0035% |
| 1972 | #1,572 | 59 | 0.0039% |
| 1971 | #1,409 | 75 | 0.0045% |
| 1970 | #1,243 | 90 | 0.0051% |
| 1969 | #934 | 130 | 0.0077% |
| 1968 | #950 | 119 | 0.0073% |
| 1967 | #877 | 135 | 0.0082% |
| 1966 | #934 | 118 | 0.0070% |
| 1965 | #760 | 170 | 0.0096% |
| 1964 | #705 | 217 | 0.0115% |
| 1963 | #660 | 235 | 0.0122% |
| 1962 | #599 | 278 | 0.0141% |
| 1961 | #561 | 315 | 0.0156% |
| 1960 | #579 | 291 | 0.0144% |
| 1959 | #613 | 262 | 0.0129% |
| 1958 | #531 | 332 | 0.0165% |
| 1957 | #517 | 342 | 0.0167% |
| 1956 | #500 | 350 | 0.0174% |
| 1955 | #487 | 347 | 0.0177% |
| 1954 | #447 | 388 | 0.0200% |
| 1953 | #455 | 361 | 0.0192% |
| 1952 | #444 | 374 | 0.0202% |
| 1951 | #406 | 417 | 0.0232% |
| 1950 | #419 | 364 | 0.0212% |
| 1949 | #407 | 387 | 0.0226% |
| 1948 | #384 | 428 | 0.0252% |
| 1947 | #344 | 538 | 0.0303% |
| 1946 | #342 | 479 | 0.0305% |
| 1945 | #324 | 443 | 0.0339% |
| 1944 | #323 | 443 | 0.0334% |
| 1943 | #322 | 475 | 0.0340% |
| 1942 | #351 | 397 | 0.0294% |
| 1941 | #335 | 389 | 0.0322% |
| 1940 | #341 | 355 | 0.0310% |
| 1939 | #363 | 323 | 0.0295% |
| 1938 | #411 | 267 | 0.0242% |
| 1937 | #416 | 241 | 0.0226% |
| 1936 | #468 | 189 | 0.0182% |
| 1935 | #599 | 119 | 0.0113% |
| 1934 | #673 | 99 | 0.0095% |
| 1933 | #824 | 66 | 0.0065% |
| 1932 | #961 | 55 | 0.0052% |
| 1931 | #1,005 | 49 | 0.0046% |
| 1930 | #1,306 | 34 | 0.0030% |
| 1929 | #2,250 | 15 | 0.0013% |
| 1928 | #1,653 | 25 | 0.0022% |
| 1927 | #1,701 | 25 | 0.0021% |
| 1926 | #1,233 | 40 | 0.0034% |
| 1925 | #1,358 | 35 | 0.0029% |
| 1924 | #1,629 | 28 | 0.0022% |
| 1923 | #1,315 | 36 | 0.0030% |
| 1922 | #1,522 | 30 | 0.0025% |
| 1921 | #1,387 | 34 | 0.0028% |
| 1920 | #1,681 | 25 | 0.0021% |
| 1919 | #1,338 | 34 | 0.0030% |
| 1918 | #1,780 | 22 | 0.0019% |
| 1917 | #1,960 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1916 | #1,423 | 27 | 0.0026% |
| 1915 | #2,002 | 16 | 0.0016% |
| 1914 | #1,782 | 15 | 0.0020% |
| 1913 | #1,434 | 17 | 0.0027% |
| 1912 | #1,196 | 20 | 0.0036% |
| 1911 | #2,333 | 6 | 0.0014% |
| 1910 | #2,285 | 6 | 0.0015% |
| 1909 | #2,086 | 6 | 0.0017% |
| 1903 | #1,691 | 6 | 0.0023% |
| 1901 | #1,570 | 6 | 0.0025% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | #4,273 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1954 | #4,102 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1953 | #3,040 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1951 | #2,772 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1950 | #3,510 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1948 | #3,939 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #2,772 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1946 | #2,340 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1945 | #2,066 | 12 | 0.0009% |
| 1944 | #2,388 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1943 | #2,478 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1941 | #2,773 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1940 | #1,851 | 15 | 0.0013% |
| 1939 | #1,681 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1938 | #1,781 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1937 | #1,875 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1936 | #1,259 | 28 | 0.0027% |
| 1935 | #1,153 | 33 | 0.0032% |
| 1934 | #979 | 43 | 0.0042% |
| 1933 | #1,098 | 36 | 0.0036% |
| 1932 | #806 | 63 | 0.0060% |
| 1931 | #950 | 48 | 0.0046% |
| 1930 | #1,355 | 29 | 0.0026% |
| 1929 | #2,263 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1928 | #3,236 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1927 | #2,469 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1926 | #3,960 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #4,579 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1922 | #2,717 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1920 | #3,656 | 7 | 0.0007% |
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 Kaye Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Kaye's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kaye's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.