The baby name Shay is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced SHAY (IPA: /ʃeɪ/).
The baby name Shay is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced SHAY (IPA: /ʃeɪ/).
Shay is Hebrew, Irish in Origin.
Shay is a unisex given name with dual origins. From Irish Gaelic, it renders Séaghdha and the surname Ó Séaghdha, commonly interpreted as "stately," "admirable," or "hawk-like." As a Hebrew name, Shay/Shai (שי) means "gift" or "present." Common variants and related forms include Shea, Shae, Shaye, and the Hebrew Shai; the older Gaelic forms Séaghdha and Ó Séaghdha underlie the Anglicizations. Though sometimes confused with Shane/Shayne (from Seán), Shay has distinct roots, and in Ireland it can also serve as a nickname for Séamus.
Use shifted from an Irish surname to a given name in the wider English-speaking world during the late twentieth century, where it gained unisex appeal in the United States, Britain, and Ireland. In Israel, Shai/Shay has long been customary for boys and increasingly appears for girls, emphasizing the "gift" meaning. Today the name blends Celtic heritage with Hebrew symbolism and remains favored for its concise sound.
| Shay Mitchell Shay Mitchell is a Canadian actor best known for her role as Emily Fields in the TV series Pretty Little Liars. Born in 1987, she has also appeared in the series You and the film The Possession of Hannah Grace. | Shay Astar Shay Astar is an American actress, singer, and songwriter best known for playing August Leffler, the teenage feminist on 3rd Rock from the Sun. Born on September 29, 1981, she is most recognized for that semi-regular TV role. |
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | Boys | 2025 | #1 | — | 836 |
| Ireland | Girls | 2022 | #1 | — | 935 |
| IL | 0 | #26 | 642 | 6,291 | |
| IL | Boys | 0 | #28 | 4,366 | 10,983 |
| PS | 0 | #34 | 278 | 5,692 | |
| DJ | Boys | 0 | #36 | 1 | 657 |
| PS | Boys | 0 | #47 | 1,967 | 10,655 |
| LU | 0 | #65 | 2 | 2,830 | |
| AO | 0 | #77 | 1 | 2,729 | |
| JP | 0 | #77 | 1 | 4,057 | |
| CN | 0 | #86 | 1 | 3,857 | |
| JM | 0 | #88 | 6 | 3,714 | |
| ID | Girls | 0 | #102 | 1 | 3,319 |
| TW | 0 | #102 | 2 | 4,523 | |
| QA | 0 | #106 | 1 | 7,011 | |
| PH | 0 | #110 | 1 | 5,607 | |
| BN | Girls | 0 | #114 | 1 | 5,459 |
| HU | 0 | #115 | 1 | 1,675 | |
| KW | 0 | #119 | 3 | 5,216 | |
| CY | Girls | 0 | #125 | 1 | 3,755 |
| CY | Boys | 0 | #130 | 2 | 3,473 |
| IQ | 0 | #131 | 3 | 3,533 | |
| Switzerland | Boys | 2024 | #136 | 2 | 1,769 |
| MU | 0 | #137 | 1 | 3,613 | |
| BW | Girls | 0 | #151 | 1 | 4,216 |
| BW | Boys | 0 | #154 | 1 | 4,685 |
| CR | 0 | #160 | 6 | 5,526 | |
| PR | Girls | 0 | #165 | 3 | 3,171 |
| HU | Boys | 0 | #174 | 1 | 3,954 |
| AE | 0 | #186 | 2 | 10,220 | |
| LU | Girls | 0 | #190 | 1 | 4,850 |
| IL | Girls | 0 | #192 | 738 | 11,648 |
| RU | 0 | #193 | 2 | 3,641 | |
| JM | Girls | 0 | #208 | 52 | 7,507 |
| BG | Boys | 0 | #220 | 1 | 3,850 |
| IR | 0 | #231 | 1 | 4,221 | |
| MO | Boys | 0 | #233 | 2 | 5,842 |
| NA | Girls | 0 | #235 | 3 | 7,146 |
| BD | 0 | #240 | 2 | 5,992 | |
| GH | 0 | #246 | 3 | 5,396 | |
| PT | 0 | #250 | 1 | 4,161 | |
| NA | Boys | 0 | #253 | 1 | 6,830 |
| PS | Girls | 0 | #256 | 334 | 10,981 |
| Canada | Girls | 2024 | #259 | 27 | 2,795 |
| JM | Boys | 0 | #262 | 11 | 6,876 |
| GR | Boys | 0 | #272 | 2 | 6,912 |
| SG | 0 | #275 | 8 | 11,010 | |
| Canada | Boys | 2024 | #288 | 19 | 2,588 |
| TW | Girls | 0 | #288 | 2 | 8,139 |
| CZ | Boys | 0 | #303 | 3 | 6,530 |
| QA | Girls | 0 | #303 | 14 | 15,378 |
| SA | 0 | #311 | 2 | 10,560 | |
| CN | Boys | 0 | #329 | 3 | 9,639 |
| DK | Girls | 0 | #329 | 1 | 7,429 |
| DK | Boys | 0 | #331 | 2 | 7,401 |
| KZ | Girls | 0 | #331 | 2 | 5,862 |
| GH | Girls | 0 | #336 | 2 | 6,973 |
| JO | Girls | 0 | #339 | 1 | 7,570 |
| MU | Boys | 0 | #340 | 18 | 8,477 |
| PL | Boys | 0 | #340 | 1 | 6,459 |
| CZ | Girls | 0 | #349 | 3 | 5,378 |
| MY | 0 | #349 | 6 | 12,352 | |
| CN | Girls | 0 | #353 | 7 | 8,829 |
| SD | Girls | 0 | #354 | 5 | 7,678 |
| BR | 0 | #355 | 6 | 5,969 | |
| HK | 0 | #355 | 3 | 8,483 | |
| MU | Girls | 0 | #357 | 6 | 8,539 |
| GH | Boys | 0 | #359 | 3 | 8,138 |
| PH | Girls | 0 | #368 | 23 | 13,098 |
| PH | Boys | 0 | #373 | 11 | 11,440 |
| France | Boys | 2021 | #377 | 11 | 2,865 |
| PT | Boys | 0 | #381 | 1 | 7,951 |
| OM | Girls | 0 | #386 | 11 | 15,987 |
| YE | 0 | #397 | 2 | 8,639 | |
| France | Girls | 2021 | #403 | 3 | 3,185 |
| BD | Girls | 0 | #405 | 2 | 8,413 |
| EG | 0 | #411 | 2 | 6,387 | |
| UY | Boys | 0 | #413 | 1 | 5,922 |
| IQ | Girls | 0 | #429 | 76 | 11,303 |
| ZA | 0 | #437 | 11 | 14,421 | |
| MX | 0 | #442 | 4 | 8,339 | |
| SD | Boys | 0 | #465 | 2 | 10,523 |
| PT | Girls | 0 | #469 | 3 | 7,952 |
| AR | Boys | 0 | #483 | 1 | 7,628 |
| KW | Girls | 0 | #488 | 28 | 19,177 |
| GT | Boys | 0 | #499 | 1 | 7,625 |
| CR | Girls | 0 | #502 | 31 | 11,342 |
| PA | Boys | 0 | #502 | 4 | 9,305 |
| CR | Boys | 0 | #503 | 8 | 10,188 |
| CO | 0 | #509 | 2 | 7,768 | |
| PA | Girls | 0 | #514 | 5 | 9,861 |
| RU | Girls | 0 | #517 | 7 | 11,913 |
| RU | Boys | 0 | #521 | 6 | 12,621 |
| AE | Girls | 0 | #529 | 25 | 20,968 |
| BH | 0 | #535 | 19 | 17,937 | |
| UY | Girls | 0 | #535 | 2 | 6,731 |
| GT | Girls | 0 | #541 | 1 | 7,500 |
| IR | Girls | 0 | #542 | 4 | 8,334 |
| HK | Boys | 0 | #552 | 6 | 12,905 |
| CM | Girls | 0 | #558 | 3 | 11,671 |
| IR | Boys | 0 | #558 | 8 | 10,162 |
| LY | 0 | #558 | 2 | 12,703 | |
| BD | Boys | 0 | #602 | 4 | 10,045 |
| BO | Boys | 0 | #622 | 1 | 9,244 |
| SG | Girls | 0 | #625 | 8 | 18,916 |
| IQ | Boys | 0 | #626 | 42 | 13,071 |
| AR | Girls | 0 | #628 | 3 | 8,289 |
| HK | Girls | 0 | #644 | 7 | 16,104 |
| IN | Girls | 0 | #653 | 2 | 13,121 |
| Finland | Boys | 2026 | #677 | 6 | 3,552 |
| SG | Boys | 0 | #681 | 17 | 17,960 |
| LB | 0 | #686 | 5 | 13,263 | |
| TN | 0 | #694 | 136 | 13,765 | |
| CL | Boys | 0 | #695 | 6 | 13,390 |
| United States | Girls | 2024 | #709 | 208 | 8,487 |
| QA | Boys | 0 | #739 | 5 | 18,093 |
| BR | Boys | 0 | #783 | 3 | 12,213 |
| United States | Boys | 2024 | #795 | 98 | 7,044 |
| KW | Boys | 0 | #800 | 7 | 18,755 |
| NG | Girls | 0 | #818 | 9 | 15,093 |
| Germany | Girls | 0 | #829 | 10 | 4,949 |
| BR | Girls | 0 | #855 | 87 | 12,708 |
| OM | Boys | 0 | #855 | 27 | 17,948 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #862 | 74 | 25,931 |
| EG | Girls | 0 | #900 | 60 | 14,742 |
| EG | Boys | 0 | #920 | 6 | 15,035 |
| NL | Boys | 0 | #923 | 29 | 5,873 |
| NL | Girls | 0 | #924 | 32 | 5,933 |
| PE | Boys | 0 | #925 | 2 | 14,506 |
| NG | Boys | 0 | #942 | 10 | 16,906 |
| MY | Girls | 0 | #954 | 41 | 24,821 |
| MX | Boys | 0 | #971 | 12 | 16,355 |
| Spain | Girls | 0 | #974 | 10 | 5,561 |
| CO | Boys | 0 | #976 | 6 | 15,656 |
| PE | Girls | 0 | #1,004 | 7 | 14,861 |
| MA | 0 | #1,033 | 96 | 20,986 | |
| IN | Boys | 0 | #1,035 | 5 | 16,750 |
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #1,048 | 94 | 25,928 |
| CO | Girls | 0 | #1,050 | 29 | 16,140 |
| AE | Boys | 0 | #1,065 | 28 | 22,615 |
| MY | Boys | 0 | #1,073 | 39 | 25,439 |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,136 | 43 | 25,619 |
| MX | Girls | 0 | #1,148 | 36 | 17,781 |
| DZ | 0 | #1,152 | 25 | 20,130 | |
| TR | 0 | #1,246 | 9 | 19,440 | |
| IT | Girls | 0 | #1,411 | 36 | 9,415 |
| IT | Boys | 0 | #1,455 | 17 | 10,046 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,586 | 29 | 28,008 |
Shay is popular in 74 countries — most recent births per country:
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