Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1994

Chai

Gender Unisex · 41% girls Rank 2025 #10,918
Rank 2025
#10,918
among boys · ↓4,960 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
18
named Chai · -22% vs 2024
How common
1 in 284,679
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1994
26 babies
All-time total
647
#9,233 all-time among boys
First recorded
1977
in Social Security records

Chai popularity over time

647 babies have been named Chai since 1977, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
00.010.010.0218801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s 6 – 6 1 – –
1980s 23 87 110 11 +1733% #3,295
1990s 57 105 162 16 +47% #3,846
2000s 68 91 159 16 -2% #5,171
2010s 35 50 85 9 -47% #8,894
2020s (to 2025) 74 51 125 21 +145% #5,958

The story of Chai

Chai is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #10,918 in 2025 with 6 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1977, 647 American babies have been named Chai, about 59% boys and 41% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1994, when 26 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Chai stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Chai?

The median living Chai is about 23 years old; half are between 11 and 32. An estimated 600 people named Chai are alive in the United States today.

median 23 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Chai year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 12 #8,468 6 #10,918
2024 8 #11,333 15 #5,958
2023 12 #8,589 9 #8,375
2022 9 #10,563 8 #9,143
2021 16 #7,027 7 #9,909
2020 17 #6,689 6 #10,839
2019 – – 8 #9,044
2018 9 #10,747 7 #9,855
2017 – – 7 #9,877
2016 – – – –
2015 – – – –
2014 8 #12,177 – –
2013 7 #13,465 8 #8,932
2012 – – 7 #9,885
2011 6 #15,224 8 #8,894
2010 5 #17,564 5 #12,559
2009 7 #13,993 8 #9,123
2008 6 #15,789 6 #11,295
2007 9 #11,829 11 #7,176
2006 6 #15,518 11 #6,987
2005 7 #13,296 9 #7,736
2004 5 #16,617 9 #7,628
2003 6 #14,207 9 #7,327
2002 7 #12,466 7 #8,599
2001 6 #13,852 14 #5,171
2000 9 #10,052 7 #8,330
1995 7 #10,711 11 #5,183
1990 – – 11 #4,713
1985 – – 10 #4,090
1980 – – – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Chai, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Chai?

The median living Chai is about 23 years old. Half of all living Chais are between 11 and 32 years old.

How many people named Chai are alive today?

An estimated 600 people named Chai are alive in the United States, based on 647 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Chai in 2025?

Chai ranked #10,918 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 6 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Chai?

647 babies have been named Chai in the United States since 1977, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Chai most popular?

Chai peaked in 1994, when 26 newborns received the name.

Is Chai a boy or girl name?

Chai is used for both: about 41% of babies named Chai have been girls and 59% boys.

Is the name Chai rising or falling?

Chai is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Names like Chai

Names that sound and feel close to Chai: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Chai with similar names → More names starting with C →