Hayes

Hayes - A very unique male name

Hayes appeared on the charts for the first time in 1914 on position #1225. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Hayes and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Hayes? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Hayes. The baby boy name Hayes was given to 2,226 baby boys in 2025, ranking #162 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 659 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Hayes peaked in popularity 2 years ago in 2024 on position 160.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Hayes, 1-5?

Hayes is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Hayes is currently topping the baby name charts in North Dakota at position #30 - and is the least popular in New Jersey at position #383.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Hayes is where you live.

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Hayes origin and meaning

English and Irish — transferred surname

A surname from Old English haga, 'hedge, enclosure' — someone who lived by a hedged enclosure; also an Irish surname in some families

Hayes was a minor surname-name for a century before joining the modern vogue for one-syllable surnames. It peaked in 2024 and sits at #162 in 2025, up from #245 in 2020.

Attested etymology

Hayes is a 5 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Hayes, pop culture references for the name Hayes and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Hayes

We've found the following names that sound similar to Hayes, sorted by popularity.

Hugh / Hugo / Hezekiah / Hosea / Huck / Haze / Hoke / Hosie / Hawk / Hayk /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Hayes

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Hayes a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Hayes?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

HAYZ · /heɪz/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Hays — A spelling without the e in US data

Famous bearers

• Hayes Grier — American social-media personality, brother of Nash Grier (b. 2000) Contemporary
• Hayes MacArthur — American actor, Anger Management (b. 1977) Contemporary

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

Hayes is a crisp one-syllable surname — preppy, a little Southern, and easy to pair with longer middle names. It fits the current short-surname fashion exactly.

Worth knowing

• One syllable leaves nothing to shorten and can sound abrupt with some surnames
• Hayes/Hays/Haze spellings and sounds blur