Buffey
A girl's name with 96 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
Among U.S. girl's names, Buffey is not in the current national top 1,000. In fact, it is among the rarest names in the SSA dataset — a choice that signals bold individuality.
With records spanning 1967 to 1979, Buffey has a focused history that reflects a particular moment in naming culture rather than a centuries-old tradition.
Buffey is not in the current top 1,000 girl names nationally, making it an uncommon choice — though your state or community may differ.
Buffey is a girl's baby name of Unknown origin, a playful variant spelling of Buffy — a nickname form of Elizabeth, from the Hebrew meaning 'my God is an oath.' Buffy gained pop culture recognition through the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, whose protagonist made the name synonymous with unexpected strength.
Buffey is the rare spelling of this fun, pop-culture-inflected nickname — carrying the cheerful, youthful energy of Buffy in a slightly more distinctive form.
EtymologyShow more
Names travel. They cross oceans, change spelling, shift pronunciation, and accumulate new associations with each culture that adopts them. Buffey does not map cleanly to a single linguistic tradition in our records, which often indicates a name that has crossed cultural boundaries, been adapted between languages, or emerged from the blending that defines American naming.
Buffey’s rarity (96 recorded births) may indicate it is strongly tied to a specific cultural community or family tradition, rather than part of the broader American naming mainstream.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Buffey has 11+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1967.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 75 | #6238 | ▲ |
| 1960s | 21 | #5973 | — |
The Story of Buffey
A Gen X name
Peaking in 1972, Buffey is a Gen X staple. Girls named Buffey are most likely born between 1967 and 1979.
How rare is Buffey?
With fewer than 500 recorded births, Buffey is an exceptionally rare name — a one-of-a-kind choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1967, peaked in the 1970s with 75 births that decade.
Buffey by the numbers
- Would fill 2 school buses
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(11 years, 1967–1979)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 6 | #9134 |
| 1977 | 6 | #8566 |
| 1976 | 8 | #6690 |
| 1975 | 9 | #6022 |
| 1974 | 9 | #5811 |
| 1973 | 12 | #4602 |
| 1972 | 15 | #3914 |
| 1971 | 10 | #5165 |
| 1969 | 5 | #7593 |
| 1968 | 9 | #4814 |
| 1967 | 7 | #5513 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Buffey a boy's or girl's name?
When was Buffey most popular?
How popular is the name Buffey?
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1967–1979