How Many People Are Named Gayl?
An estimated 362 people in the United States have the first name Gayl. It is predominantly female (97.6%). The average bearer is 71 years old, and Gayl peaked in popularity in 1952 with 43 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Gayl as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Gayl paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- With an average bearer age of 71, Gayl is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1965.
Estimated Living Americans
362
About 1 in 946,835 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
97.6% confidence
Average Age
71
years old
Peak Year
1952
43 births
Total Registered
622
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Gayl
Gayl is predominantly female (97.6%), though 15 male births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Gayl as a male name
Ranked #3,768 in 1942
5 male births in 1942
Peak: 1933 (5 births)
Gayl as a female name
Ranked #8,326 in 1975
6 female births in 1975
Peak: 1952 (43 births)
Gayl: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Gayl span from the 1910s to the 1970s, covering 7 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1950s, when 225 babies were registered. Gayl has declined significantly from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Gayl by Decade
How has Gayl tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Gayl by State
Birth registrations for Gayl span all 4 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Illinois, New York. The lowest are in Indiana, New York, Illinois. On average, about 7 Gayls were registered per state.
Gayl + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Gayl as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Gayl
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
Gayl: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gayl?
We estimate approximately 362 people named Gayl are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 946,835 Americans share this first name.
Is Gayl a common name?
Gayl is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 81.3% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 622 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Gayl most popular?
Gayl reached peak popularity in 1952, when 43 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Gayl is approximately 71 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Gayl a female name?
Gayl is predominantly female. 97.6% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Gayl Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Gayl Smith, Gayl Johnson, Gayl Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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