unisex name
Cai
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 1
- Letters 3
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 4,887
Northern Ireland
#300
2023 births
Cai is a unisex name with 1 syllable. It is given to both girls and boys — about 11% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2025 it was given to 81 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2006, when 195 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 10,133 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1996.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Cai over time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 247 |
| 2000s | 1,330 |
| 2010s | 855 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 325 |
How popular is Cai?
In 2025, Cai was given to 52 babies in England and Wales, ranking #693 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Cai is used
Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Cai
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Cai also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Cai over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Cai
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Cai — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Cai
How popular is the name Cai?
In 2025, Cai was given to 52 babies in England and Wales, ranking #693 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Cai a girl's or a boy's name?
Cai is used for both girls and boys. About 11% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Cai?
Cai has 1 syllable.
When was Cai most popular?
Cai peaked in 2006, when 195 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Cai a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Cai currently ranks #693 in England and Wales. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.