Boy name
Hay name meaning
“living; possessing life”
Hay means living or possessing life. It comes from Arabic ḥayy and is used as a boy's name in Türkiye. Al-Hayy is also a divine name in religious vocabulary. Ibn Tufayl's philosophical tale Hayy ibn Yaqzan supplies a concrete literary association with the word.
What does Hay mean?
Living; possessing life
In Turkish: diri; hayat sahibi
Hay is connected with life and the state of being alive. The form al-Hayy is a divine name in Islamic tradition and occurs in the Quran. Although Turkish also has an interjection spelled hay, the personal name's interpretation comes from the Arabic word for living, rather than from that interjection.
Origin of the name Hay
From Arabic ḥayy, living or alive. In religious usage, al-Hayy is one of the names of God.
| Linguistic origin | Arabic |
|---|---|
| Naming tradition | Islamic |
| In Islamic history | Names found in the Quran |
| Is Hay in the Quran? | As a word · الحي · 2:255The source word ḥayy appears in the Quran as al-Ḥayy, an expression describing God as the Living. |
| Starts with | H · Ha |
Names are shared across communities. Where a name is common says nothing certain about any one person’s background, faith or origin.
How to pronounce Hay
| Syllables | 1 · 3 letters · 3-letter boy names |
|---|---|
| IPA | /haj/ |
| Ottoman Turkish | حی |
| Arabic | حي |
Is Hay a boy’s name?
Yes, Hay is used mostly as a boy’s name. See all boy names.
Hay does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025).
Spellings and similar names
Names that sound like Hay
Names with related meanings
FAQ about the name Hay
What is the meaning of Hay?
Hay means “living; possessing life”. From Arabic ḥayy, living or alive. In religious usage, al-Hayy is one of the names of God.
Is Hay a boy’s name?
Yes, Hay is used mostly as a boy’s name.
Is Hay in the Quran?
As a word. The source word ḥayy appears in the Quran as al-Ḥayy, an expression describing God as the Living. (e.g.: 2:255)
What is the origin of the name Hay?
Hay is of Arabic origin.
How many syllables does Hay have?
Hay has 1 syllable and 3 letters.
How popular is the name Hay?
Hay does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025).
Sources and method
Meanings and origins draw on language sources and name dictionaries; popularity figures come from TÜİK’s address-based population register, and notable people from Wikidata.
Entry ID: nm06946 · Updated 2026-10-24 · How we research names · Report a mistake