Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2022

Rai

Meaning Spelling variant of Ray Gender Unisex · 27% girls Rank 2025 #3,826 Trend ↑ Rising 116%

Spelling variant of Ray.

Rank 2025
#3,826
among boys · ↑133 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
34
named Rai · -8% vs 2024
How common
1 in 58,899
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2022
44 babies
All-time total
520
#9,315 all-time among boys
First recorded
1952
in Social Security records

Rai popularity over time

520 babies have been named Rai since 1952, 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
0.010.010.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 15 – 15 2 – –
1960s 10 – 10 1 -33% –
1970s – – – – – –
1980s 5 – 5 1 – –
1990s 6 31 37 4 +640% #6,293
2000s 6 68 74 7 +100% #5,225
2010s 54 125 179 18 +142% #4,737
2020s (to 2025) 45 155 200 33 +86% #3,331

Where Rai is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 33 0.02 outside top 500
2027 37 0.02 outside top 500
2028 40 0.02 outside top 500
2029 44 0.03 outside top 500
2030 47 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Rai

Rai is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,826 in 2025 with 29 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1952, 520 American babies have been named Rai, about 73% boys and 27% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2022, when 44 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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

How old are people named Rai?

The median living Rai is about 9 years old; half are between 3 and 16. An estimated 500 people named Rai are alive in the United States today.

median 9 020406080100

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

Rai 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 5 #16,708 29 #3,826
2024 9 #10,913 28 #3,959
2023 6 #14,772 36 #3,331
2022 15 #7,561 29 #3,849
2021 10 #10,147 18 #5,286
2020 – – 15 #5,908
2019 5 #17,430 16 #5,740
2018 5 #17,581 12 #7,024
2017 5 #17,867 13 #6,587
2016 – – 21 #4,737
2015 9 #11,631 9 #8,566
2014 – – 11 #7,434
2013 – – 10 #7,962
2012 8 #13,176 11 #7,425
2011 11 #10,242 11 #7,382
2010 11 #10,305 11 #7,461
2009 6 #16,806 11 #7,579
2008 – – 9 #8,847
2007 – – 10 #8,032
2006 – – 5 #13,550
2005 – – 16 #5,225
2004 – – – –
2003 – – 10 #7,116
2002 – – – –
2001 – – – –
2000 – – 7 #8,920
1995 – – 9 #6,293
1990 – – – –
1985 – – – –
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 Rai, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Rai?

The median living Rai is about 9 years old. Half of all living Rais are between 3 and 16 years old.

How many people named Rai are alive today?

An estimated 500 people named Rai are alive in the United States, based on 520 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Rai mean?

Spelling variant of Ray.

How popular is the name Rai in 2025?

Rai ranked #3,826 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 29 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Rai?

520 babies have been named Rai in the United States since 1952, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Rai most popular?

Rai peaked in 2022, when 44 newborns received the name.

Is Rai a boy or girl name?

Rai is used for both: about 27% of babies named Rai have been girls and 73% boys.

Is the name Rai rising or falling?

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

Will Rai become more popular?

Rai is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 47 boys named Rai in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Rai

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

Compare Rai with similar names → More names starting with R →