Holding steady.
Popularity of Hoy since 1880
Babies named Hoy per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1923, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Hoy's real moment was 1880.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 13 |
| 1890s | 5 |
| 1900s | 10 |
| 1910s | 160 |
| 1920s | 215 |
| 1930s | 150 |
| 1940s | 117 |
| 1950s | 79 |
| 1960s | 42 |
| 1970s | 29 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 5 |
Meaning & origin
Hoy is an exceptionally rare given name, first recorded in the United States in 1880, when it appeared with a handful of births. Its peak year was also 1880, reflecting its early and fleeting use. The name has not ranked within the top 1000 in any subsequent year, and its trajectory remains stable at an extremely low frequency. With no recorded one-in-N incidence, Hoy is one of the least common names in the Social Security data. Its origins are unclear, but it may be linked to the Scottish surname Hoy or an English nickname. Given its rarity, it has no recorded top states or notable bearers. Parental interest in Hoy today would be for its brevity and uniqueness rather than any established tradition.
Hoy is a rare given name with uncertain origins. It may derive from the Scottish surname Hoy, which itself comes from the Old Norse 'haugr' meaning 'hill' or 'high place', referencing the Orkney island of Hoy. Alternatively, it could be an English nickname from the Middle English 'hoy' (a cry or shout), given to a lively or cheerful person. As a given name, it saw modest use in the late 19th century, particularly in the United States, but has since become extremely rare.
Sibling names for Hoy
Names that share Hoy's style, for a brother or sister.
