Will my child share the name Shay with classmates?

Unlikely. With around 73 UK babies named Shay per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Shay in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.

Is Shay becoming more or less popular in the UK?

Shay is declining: down 131 places since 2020, to #529 in 2025. It peaked at #156 in 2006.

Is Shay popular in the US as well as the UK?

Shay is more popular in the US (#997) than in the UK (#2116). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.

Who are some famous people named Shay?

Notable people named Shay include: Wendy Shay, Shay Latukolan and Jonathan Shay.

Is Shay a popular baby name in the United States?

Shay does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice.

👦 Boy's name 💎 Relatively Unique UK #529

Shay

🗳️ Add Shay to a family shortlist

Shay is a distinctive choice, ranked #529 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Shay in their class.

💎

UK Rank 2025

#529

US Rank #997

About the Name Shay

Shay has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 429 places in five years. It was most popular in 1999 at #1107 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.

Shay is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Shay in their class.

In the US it ranks even higher at #997, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.

⭐ Famous People Named Shay

Wendy Shay — Wendy Asiamah Addo, known by the stage name Wendy Shay, is a Ghanaian singer.
Shay Latukolan — Shay Latukolan is a Dutch choreographer, dancer and director.
Jonathan Shay — Jonathan Shay is an American doctor and clinical psychiatrist.

Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.