The name Kay is found both as a surname and as a given name. In English-speaking countries, it is usually a feminine name, often a short form of Katherine or one of its variants; but it is also used as a first name in its own right, and also as a masculine name (for example in India, the Netherlands, and Sweden). The alternative spelling Kaye is encountered as a surname, but also occasionally as a given name, such as actress

Kaye Ballard Kaye Ballard (November 20, 1925 – January 21, 2019) was an American actress, comedian, and singer. Early life Ballard was born Catherine Gloria Balotta in Cleveland, Ohio, one of four children born to Italian immigrant parents, Lena (née Nac ...

Name

Female

Kay Armen Armenuhi Manoogian (); November 2, 1915 – October 3, 2011), better known by her stage name Kay Armen, was an American-Armenian singer popular during the 1940s and 1950s. Her career in show business spanned almost six decades; she worked on sta ...

(1915–2011), stage name of Armenuhi Manoogian, American Armenian singer * Kay Curley Bennett (1922–1977), Navajo artist and writer *

Kay Burley Kay Elizabeth Burley (; born 17 December 1960) is an English broadcaster. She was a presenter on Sky News and hosted the breakfast slot on the channel. She has also worked for BBC Local Radio, Tyne Tees Television, and TV-am. On 5 February ...

(born 1960), Sky News founder and presenter * Kay B. Cobb (1942–2023), American judge * Kay Copland, Scottish sport shooter * Kay Elson (born 1947), Australian politician *

Kay Francis Kay Francis (born Katharine Edwina Gibbs; January 13, 1905 – August 26, 1968) was an American stage and film actress. After a brief period on Broadway in the late 1920s, she moved to film and achieved her greatest success between 1930 an ...

(1905–1968), American actress *

Kay Hagan Janet Kay Hagan (née Ruthven; May 26, 1953 – October 28, 2019) was an American lawyer, banking executive, and politician who served as a United States Senate, United States Senator from North Carolina from 2009 to 2015. A member of the Democr ...

(1953–2019), American politician *

Kay Hull Kay Elizabeth Hull (born 3 February 1954) is a former Australian politician who served as a National Party member of the House of Representatives from 1998 to 2010, representing the Division of Riverina in New South Wales. Hull was born in Guy ...

(born 1954), Australian politician *

Kay Bailey Hutchison Kay Bailey Hutchison (born Kathryn Ann Bailey; July 22, 1943) is an American attorney, television correspondent, politician, diplomat, and was the 22nd United States Permanent Representative to NATO from 2017 until 2021. A member of the Republic ...

(born 1943), American lawyer, politician, and diplomat *

Kay Ivey Kay Ellen Ivey ( ; born October 15, 1944) is an American politician who is the 54th governor of Alabama, serving since 2017. A Republican since 2002, Ivey was the 38th Alabama state treasurer from 2003 to 2011 and the 30th lieutenant governor o ...

(born 1944), governor of Alabama *

Kay Kendall Justine Kay Kendall McCarthy (21 May 1927 – 6 September 1959) was an English actress and singer. She began her film career in the musical film ''London Town (1946 film), London Town'' (1946), a financial failure. Kendall worked regularly unti ...

(1927–1959), British actress and comedian *

Kay Kinsman Katherine Nixon Bell (June 27, 1909 – 1998), known as Kay Kinsman, was an artist, writer and student of history and languages. She is noted for her works created with watercolour or in pen and ink depicting street views and everyday life. As an a ...

(1909–1998), Canadian artist and writer *

Kay Lahusen Katherine Lahusen (also known as Kay Tobin; January 5, 1930 – May 26, 2021) was an American photographer, writer and gay rights activist. She was the first openly lesbian American photojournalist.Riordan, Kevin (Fall 2001). "Together they spar ...

(1930–2021), American photographer, writer and gay rights activist *

Kay Matheson Kay Matheson (7 December 1928 – 6 July 2013) was a Scottish teacher, political activist, and Gaelic scholar. She was one of the four University of Glasgow students involved in the 1950 removal of the Stone of Scone. Life Matheson was born ...

(1928-2013), teacher, Gaelic scholar, one of four students involved in the

1950 removal of the Stone of Scone On 25 December 1950, four Scottish students from the University of Glasgow ( Ian Hamilton, Gavin Vernon, Kay Matheson and Alan Stuart) removed the Stone of Scone from Westminster Abbey in London and took it back to Scotland. The students wer ...

Kay Mazzo Kay Mazzo (born January 17, 1946) is an American former ballet dancer and educator. In 1961, she joined Jerome Robbins' company, Ballets USA. The following year, she joined the New York City Ballet and was promoted to principal dancer in 1969. Sh ...

(born 1946), American ballet dancer and educator * Kay A. Orr (1939), 36th governor of Nebraska, US * Kay Toinette K. T. Oslin (1942–2020), American country music singer-songwriter *

Kay Panabaker Stephanie Kay Panabaker (born May 2, 1990) is an American zoologist and former actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Garison in the 2009 reboot of '' Fame'', Debbie Berwick on ''Phil of the Future'', and Nikki Westerly on '' Summerland''. ...

(born 1990), American actress *

Kay Parker Kay Taylor Parker (28 August 1944 – 14 October 2022) was a British pornographic film actress who later worked as a metaphysical counselor and mentor. She was the author of an autobiography ''Taboo: Sacred, Don't Touch'' which chronicles her ...

(1944–2022), English pornographic actress *

Kay Purcell Kay Purcell (6 December 1963 – 23 December 2020) was an English actress. She was best known for portraying the roles of Cynthia Daggert in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' (2001–2002), Candice Smilie in the BBC school-based drama series ' ...

(1963–2020), English actress * Kay Redfield Jamison (born 1946), American psychologist and writer *

Kay Starr Kay Starr (born Catherine Laverne Starks; July 21, 1922 – November 3, 2016) was an American singer who enjoyed considerable success in the late 1940s and 1950s. She was of Iroquois and Irish heritage. Starr performed multiple genres, such as p ...

(1922–2016), stage name of Katherine Starks, American pop and jazz singer *

Kay Thompson Kay Thompson (born Catherine Louise Fink; November 9, 1909''"In the St. Louis Registry of Births, in the volume covering the period July 1909 – January 1910, on page 85, is the following entry: "Catherine Louise Fink, November 9, 1909."''

(1909–1998), American author *
Kay Tse Kay Tse On-kay (; born 13 March 1977) is a Hong Kong singer. She is a prominent figure in Hong Kong music and popular culture and was once frequently referred to in the media as a "grass-roots diva" and "goddess". She is known for songs which de ...
(born 1977), Hong Kong Cantopop singer *
Kay (singer) Kristin Kathleen Boutilier (born July 31, 1985) is a singer, songwriter, model and DJ who uses the stage name Goldie Boutilier; as such, she has released three EPs. Born and raised in Reserve Mines, Nova Scotia, Boutilier moved to Los Angeles a ...
(born 1985), Canadian singer-songwriter *
F. Kay Wallis Frances Kay Wallis (born ) is an American ( Gwichyaa Gwichʼin) traditional healer and former politician. She is a tribal doctor with the Southcentral Foundation. Wallis was a Democratic member of the Alaska House of Representatives from the 24th ...
(born ), American traditional healer and politician *
Kay Young Caroline Kate (Kay) Young (born January 30, 1944) is a former Canadian politician. She represented the riding of Terra Nova in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1993 to 1996 as a member of the Liberal Party. The daughter of ...
(born 1944), Canadian politician

Male
* Kay Bell, American football player and professional wrestler * Kay Christofferson, American politician * Kay van Dijk, Dutch volleyball player *
Kay Kyser James Kern Kyser (June 18, 1905 – July 23, 1985), known as Kay Kyser, was an American bandleader and radio personality of the 1930s and 1940s. Early years Kyser was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the son of pharmacists Emily Royster Kyser ...
, American bandleader and radio personality *
Kay Nielsen Kay Rasmus Nielsen (March 12, 1886 – June 21, 1957) was a Danish illustrator who was popular in the early 20th century, the Golden Age of Illustration which lasted from when Daniel Vierge and other pioneers developed printing technology to th ...
, Danish illustrator *
Kay Pollak Kay Gunnar Leopold Pollak (born 21 May 1938) is a Swedish film director. Career After a long break from film-making, he returned in 2004 with '' As It Is in Heaven'' (''Så som i himmelen''), a major box office success in Sweden. The film was no ...
, Swedish film director *
Kay Stephenson George Kay Stephenson (born December 17, 1944) is an American former professional football player and coach, whose latter career has seen him work in four different leagues. Stephenson played quarterback for the American Football League's San ...
, American football player and coach * Prince Kay One, German singer and rapper *Jay Kay, British musician and frontman of British band
Jamiroquai Jamiroquai ( ) are an English acid jazz and funk band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in th ...

Fictional characters
*
Agent K Agent K (usually called Kay), born Kevin Cunningham Brown, is a fictional character and one of the two main protagonists of the ''Men in Black'' franchise (the other being Agent J). Kay is portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones in the three films, with ...
, a character in the ''Men In Black'' film series and animated series *
Kay Adams-Corleone Katherine "Kay" Corleone (née Adams) is a fictional character originating in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather''. Diane Keaton portrayed her in Francis Ford Coppola's film trilogy based on the novel. Before their divorce, she is the seco ...
, a character in Mario Puzo's novel ''The Godfather'' *
Sir Kay In Arthurian legend, Kay (, Middle Welsh ''Kei'' or ''Cei''; ; French: ''Keu''; Old French: ''Kès'' or ''Kex'') is King Arthur's foster brother and later seneschal, as well as one of the first Knights of the Round Table. In later literature h ...
, character from Arthurian legend * Kay Harker, character from the book ''The Box of Delights'' by John Masefield * Kay, a protagonist in the video game ''Legend of Kay'' * Kay, also spelled Kai, a character in Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale ''
The Snow Queen "The Snow Queen" () is an 1844 original fairy tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. It was first published 21 December 1844 in ''New Fairy Tales. First Volume#New Fairy Tales. First Volume. Second Collection, New Fairy Tales. First Vo ...
'' * Kay, a character in the Vertigo comic series ''Fables'', based on the above * Kay Faraday, a character in ''Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth'' * Kay Engel, a character in ''Freier Fall (2013 film)'' * Kay, protagonist from the video game Sea of Solitude * Kay Swiss, a character in ''
Scott the Woz ''Scott the Woz'' (stylized as ''Scott The Woz'') is a gaming comedy review web series created by American YouTuber Scott Wozniak. The series, starring Wozniak, covers video games and gaming history. Episodes are written and directed by Wozni ...
''

See also
* K, the eleventh letter in the Latin alphabet * Kai * Hurricane Kay (disambiguation) *
Kay (surname) Kay is an English surname. It derives from the Old Breton and Welsh ''cai'' and the Cornish ''key'' meaning "wharf", or from the Old English ''coeg'' meaning "key". The surname is also a diminutive of MacKay and McKay. In England, the Kay(e)s ...
*
Kay Musical Instrument Company Kay Musical Instrument Company (often referred to simply as Kay) is an American musical instrument manufacturer established in 1931 by namesake Henry "Kay" Kuhrmeyer and based in Chicago, Illinois. It was formed when Kuhrmeyer bought out his fina ...
, a US musical instrument manufacturer * Kaye (disambiguation) *
Kaya (disambiguation) Kaya may refer to: People *Kaya (given name) * Kaya (surname) Places *Kaya, Burkina Faso, a town in Burkina Faso, capital of the department * Kaya Airport, serving the town * Kaya Department, a department or commune of Sanmatenga Province in cen ...
*
Kaylee Kaylee (and its various spellings) is a given name, most often for females. The name is a modern English combination of the name elements Kay and Lee Lee may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Lee'' (2007 film), Tamil-language sports acti ...
* Kayla {{Given name English feminine given names Feminine given names English masculine given names Masculine given names English unisex given names