17,444births recorded
11Countries
2Variants
2022Peak · Ireland
#51Québec 2025
Shay is a boy name family recorded 17,444 times in 11 countries since 1932. It ranks highest today in Québec (#51 in 2025). Its all-time peak was in Ireland in 2022, at 322.2 births per 100,000. Elsewhere it is mostly given as Shai (France).
Popularity by country
Births per 100,000 newborns, all forms of the name combined.
Which form wins where
Births per 100,000 newborns for each form, in the selected country.
All forms of Shay
| Variants | Language | Total births | Country | Latest rank | Peak year | 10-year trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shay | English | 5,238 | 🏴 England & Wales | #529 | 2006 | ▼ 54 % |
| Shay | English | 5,024 | 🇺🇸 United States | #1976 | 1991 | ▲ 39 % |
| Shay | English | 1,991 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | #52 | 2022 | ▲ 39 % |
| Shay | English | 912 | 🏴 Scotland | #226 | 2012 | ▼ 50 % |
| Shay | English | 541 | 🇬🇧 Northern Ireland | #212 | 2009 | ▲ 13 % |
| Shay | English | 165 | 🇫🇷 France | #3087 | 2013 | ▲ 26 % |
| Shai | English | 2,469 | 🇺🇸 United States | #1030 | 2023 | ▲ 381 % |
| Shai | English | 440 | 🇫🇷 France | #2146 | 2025 | ▲ 151 % |
| Shai | English | 408 | 🏴 England & Wales | #1796 | 2012 | ▲ 23 % |
| Shai | English | 85 | 🇨🇦 Ontario | #964 | 2022 | new |
| Shai | English | 16 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | – | 1988 | – |
| Shai | English | 15 | 🇨🇦 Québec | #51 | 2025 | new |
How we grouped these names
- Shay ↔ Shai — spelling variant
Questions about Shay
How popular is the name Shay?
In 2025 it ranked #51 in Québec. Official registers record 17,444 births across 11 countries.
What is Shay in other languages?
Shai (English).
When was Shay most popular?
It peaked in Ireland in 2022, at 322.2 births per 100,000.
Is Shay a boy or a girl name?
In official birth registers, Shay is a boy name.