Ayce
A Turkish name with uncertain origins and meanings.
Name Census estimates that about 772 living Americans carry the first name Ayce. It is a predominantly male name (99.2% of registrations). The average person named Ayce today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ayce births was 2021 (102 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ayce. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Ayce with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
772
~ 1 in 443,982 Americans
Peak year
2021
102 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,950
Tracked since 2010
Gender
Gender distribution for Ayce
Out of the 777 babies given the name Ayce since 1880, 99.2% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Ayce as a male name
- Ranked #1,950 in 2024
- 80 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (102 births)
Ayce as a female name
- Ranked #13,683 in 2020
- 6 female births in 2020
- Peak: 2020 (6 births)
Popularity
Ayce: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ayce from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 450 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ayce by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ayce during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ayces live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. Texas, Georgia, California recorded the most babies named Ayce, while Virginia, North Carolina, Missouri recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 22 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ayce
The name Ayce has its origins in the Turkish culture and language, believed to have emerged during the Ottoman Empire period in the 15th to 20th centuries. The name Ayce is thought to be derived from the Turkish word "ayça," meaning "moonlight" or "moonbeam." This suggests the name may have been given to children born under the light of the moon or as a symbolic representation of beauty and radiance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ayce can be found in Ottoman-era records, where it was occasionally used for girls within the Ottoman Empire's territories. However, the name remained relatively uncommon during this period, with limited historical references or notable figures bearing this name.
In the early 20th century, a Turkish novelist named Ayce Nazli Eray (1907-1981) gained recognition for her works exploring themes of love, family, and societal issues within the context of modern Turkish society. Her literary contributions helped bring the name Ayce into the public consciousness and may have contributed to its increased usage in the later part of the century.
Another notable figure was Ayce Sultan Osmanoglu (1957-2011), a member of the Ottoman imperial family who lived in exile after the abolition of the Ottoman Empire. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her work in preserving Ottoman cultural heritage.
In the world of sports, Ayce Ari (born 1989) is a Turkish professional basketball player who has represented the Turkish national team and played in various European leagues. Her athletic achievements have further brought attention to the name Ayce within the Turkish community and beyond.
The name Ayce has also been used by individuals outside of Turkey, albeit less frequently. One example is Ayce Elizabeth Mills (1901-1985), an American educator and writer who published works on childhood education and child development during her career.
While the name Ayce remains primarily associated with Turkish culture and language, its meaning and symbolism of moonlight and beauty have resonated with some individuals across different regions, leading to its occasional adoption as a given name in other parts of the world.
People
Ayce + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ayce as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ayce: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ayce?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 772 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ayce going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 443,982 US residents.
Is Ayce a common name?
We classify Ayce as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 777 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ayce most popular?
The single biggest year for Ayce was 2021, when 102 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ayce is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ayce in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ayce a male name?
Yes, 99.2% of people registered as Ayce in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ayce still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ayce in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ayce can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Ayce?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.