Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1982

Chi

Gender Unisex · 58% girls Rank 2025 #6,596 Trend ↑ Rising 62%

From the Wade-Giles romanization of the Mandarin Chinese 齊 / 齐 (Qí).

Rank 2025
#6,596
among girls · ↓142 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
26
named Chi · -21% vs 2024
How common
1 in 94,545
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1982
48 babies
All-time total
1,326
#9,022 all-time among girls
First recorded
1970
in Social Security records

Chi popularity over time

1,326 babies have been named Chi since 1970, 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
0.010.010.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

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 159 94 253 25 – #2,516
1980s 192 167 359 36 +42% #3,189
1990s 125 107 232 23 -35% #4,144
2000s 65 80 145 15 -37% #7,593
2010s 91 38 129 13 -11% #6,479
2020s (to 2025) 131 77 208 35 +169% #4,384

The story of Chi

Chi is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #6,596 in 2025 with 17 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1970, 1,326 American babies have been named Chi, about 58% girls and 42% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1982, when 48 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1980s.

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 Chi stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Chi?

The median living Chi is about 34 years old; half are between 14 and 43. An estimated 1,300 people named Chi are alive in the United States today.

median 34 020406080100

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

Chi 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 17 #6,596 9 #8,379
2024 18 #6,454 15 #5,960
2023 32 #4,384 15 #5,987
2022 21 #5,822 14 #6,210
2021 26 #4,989 10 #7,715
2020 17 #6,692 14 #6,034
2019 18 #6,479 11 #7,261
2018 7 #12,767 6 #11,026
2017 12 #8,914 10 #7,670
2016 9 #11,067 – –
2015 10 #10,300 – –
2014 10 #10,300 – –
2013 6 #15,023 6 #10,987
2012 11 #9,868 – –
2011 8 #12,416 5 #12,618
2010 – – – –
2009 12 #9,520 7 #10,060
2008 5 #18,117 7 #10,049
2007 – – 6 #11,157
2006 – – 8 #8,867
2005 15 #7,593 8 #8,424
2004 8 #11,835 9 #7,637
2003 5 #16,282 7 #8,815
2002 5 #15,952 9 #7,145
2001 8 #11,225 12 #5,731
2000 7 #12,057 7 #8,334
1995 – – 12 #4,840
1990 24 #4,144 12 #4,449
1985 16 #4,665 24 #2,236
1980 25 #3,339 12 #3,449
1975 20 #3,418 10 #3,477
1970 5 #8,197 6 #4,317
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Chi

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Chi McBride Chi McBride American actor (born 1961) Contemporary
  2. 2 Chi Cheng Chi Cheng American bassist (1970–2013) Contemporary
  3. 3 Chi Cheng Chi Cheng Taiwanese track and field athlete and Republic of China politician b. 1944 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Chi?

The median living Chi is about 34 years old. Half of all living Chis are between 14 and 43 years old.

How many people named Chi are alive today?

An estimated 1,300 people named Chi are alive in the United States, based on 1,326 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Chi mean?

From the Wade-Giles romanization of the Mandarin Chinese 齊 / 齐 (Qí).

How popular is the name Chi in 2025?

Chi ranked #6,596 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 17 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Chi?

1,326 babies have been named Chi in the United States since 1970, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Chi most popular?

Chi peaked in 1982, when 48 newborns received the name.

Is Chi a boy or girl name?

Chi is used for both: about 58% of babies named Chi have been girls and 42% boys.

Is the name Chi rising or falling?

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

Who are famous people named Chi?

Well-known people named Chi include Chi McBride (actor), Chi Cheng (musician), Chi Cheng (athlete).

Names like Chi

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

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