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Fay

Girl name · 148 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Fay: 148 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 10 births in 1976.

Fay is a name of Old French origin, derived from *fae* meaning "fairy" or "enchanting being," and also used as a diminutive of Faith in English-speaking countries. The most famous bearer is Fay Wray, the iconic scream queen who starred in the 1933 film *King Kong*. Another notable is Scottish author Fay Weldon, known for her sharp feminist novels and *The Life and Loves of a She-Devil*. Place connections are limited, though the name shares its root with the French region of Faye. The spelling variant Faye became more popular in Scotland from the 1990s onwards, overtaking the original form.

Girl 27 of 52 years

Peak year
197610 babies
Latest (2017)
#8083 babies
Total births
148since 1974
5-year trend
≈ stablevs prior 5y
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1976 · 10
Births per year in Scotland. Missing years had a count of 2 or fewer (suppressed by NRS).