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Fay

Quick answerThe given name 'Fay' is derived from the Old French word 'faye', meaning 'fairy' or 'enchantress', with its linguistic root in the Latin word 'fata', referring to fate or destiny.

English · Girl · 1 syllable

F
Top 5,000

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderGirl
US Rank#3,795
TrendStable
Peak year1926
Syllables1
OriginEnglish
LanguageEnglish
CultureEnglish
Letters3
Numerology5 Chaldean 1
Global rank#78

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Fay

The given name 'Fay' is derived from the Old French word 'faye', meaning 'fairy' or 'enchantress', with its linguistic root in the Latin word 'fata', referring to fate or destiny.

Cross-referenced with Wikidata/Wikipedia. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

The given name 'Fay' is derived from the Old French word 'faye', meaning 'fairy' or 'enchantress', with its linguistic root in the Latin word 'fata', referring to fate or destiny. The name 'Fay' has been used in various cultures, including English and Arabic, with notable historical context in medieval European folklore and in Arabic as a variant of the name 'Fatima', a revered figure in Islam.

Fay currently ranks #3,795 in the United States as a girl's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1926.

Variants & nicknames

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Sibling name ideas

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Phonetic match, not just spelling
Fabio
Boy Italian

"Fabio derives from the Latin family name Fabius, which comes from the word "faba" meaning "bean," likely referring to someone…"

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Faye
Unisex English

"Faye means "fairy" or "elf" and derives from the Old French word "fae" or "fay," which itself comes from Latin…"

Global rank #80 View name
Fia
Girl Greek/Irish

"The name 'Fia' is a diminutive of Sofia, meaning "wisdom" from the Greek *sophia*, and also functions as an Irish…"

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Febe
Girl Dutch

"Febe is a variant spelling of Phebe, derived from the Greek name Φοίβη (Phoibe), meaning "bright" or "pure," rooted in…"

Global rank #280 View name
Fae
Girl English

"Fae means "fairy" or "fey" and derives from Middle English and Old French roots, ultimately connected to the Latin "fata"…"

Global rank #407 View name
Fabia
Girl Latin

"The name 'Fabia' is the feminine form of the Roman family name 'Fabius', derived from the Latin word *faba* meaning…"

Global rank #410 View name
Faya
Girl Arabic and Old English

"Faya derives from the Arabic root "fay" (فيء), meaning "shaded" or "cool," and is also associated with the French name…"

Global rank #418 View name
Fyfe
Boy Scottish (Rare)

"The given name 'Fyfe' is a Scottish topographic surname turned given name, derived from the Gaelic *Fìobh*, referring to the…"

Global rank #602 View name
Fiia
Girl Latin

"The name 'Fiia' is a Finnish diminutive of Sofia, meaning "wisdom," derived from the Greek *sophia*."

Global rank #611 View name
Fíbí
Girl Greek

"The name 'Fíbí' is an Irish Gaelic form of the name Phoebe, meaning "bright" or "radiant," derived from the Greek…"

Global rank #736 View name
Feya
Girl Old French

"The name 'Feya' is a variant of 'Fae' or 'Fay', derived from the Old French word *faie* (modern French *fée*),…"

Global rank #883 View name
Fee
Girl Gaelic/Greek

"The given name 'Fee' is typically a diminutive of names like Fiona or Josephine, meaning "fair" or "white" from the…"

Global rank #926 View name
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