unisex name
Chai
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 811
Chai is a unisex name with 1 syllable. It is given to both girls and boys — about 34% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2025 it was given to 18 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Peaked in 1994, when 26 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 184,196 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1977.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Chai over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1970s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 6 |
| 1980s | 110 |
| 1990s | 162 |
| 2000s | 159 |
| 2010s | 85 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 125 |
How popular is Chai?
In 2025, Chai was given to 18 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Chai is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Chai is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Chaï | Chaï is a rare spelling of Chai, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 10 times, mostly in France. | 10 |
Names that peaked alongside Chai
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Chai also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Chai over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Chai
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Chai — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Chai
How popular is the name Chai?
In 2025, Chai was given to 18 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Chai a girl's or a boy's name?
Chai is used for both girls and boys. About 34% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Chai?
Chai has 1 syllable.
When was Chai most popular?
Chai peaked in 1994, when 26 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Chai a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Chai currently ranks #8,686 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.