Tai: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,536

among boys · ↓123 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Tai · -9% vs 2024

How common

1 in 32,228

boys born in 2025

Peak year

1980

199 babies

All-time total

4,937

#2,464 all-time among boys

First recorded

1922

in Social Security records

Tai popularity over time

4,937 babies have been named Tai since 1922, 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

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	–	10	10	1	–	#4,878
1930s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1950s	7	–	7	1	–	–
1960s	11	12	23	2	+229%	#3,902
1970s	174	202	376	38	+1535%	#1,534
1980s	666	356	1,022	102	+172%	#1,543
1990s	375	516	891	89	-13%	#1,281
2000s	351	1,053	1,404	140	+58%	#1,154
2010s	151	639	790	79	-44%	#1,686
2020s (to 2025)	80	334	414	69	-13%	#2,320

Where Tai 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	54	0.03	outside top 500
2027	55	0.03	outside top 500
2028	55	0.03	outside top 500
2029	56	0.03	outside top 500
2030	57	0.03	outside top 500

The story of Tai

Tai is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,536 in 2025 with 53 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1922, 4,937 American babies have been named Tai, about 63% boys and 37% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1980, when 199 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 Tai stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Tai?

The median living Tai is about 24 years old; half are between 16 and 38. An estimated 4,800 people named Tai are alive in the United States today.

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

Tai 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	11	#9,397	53	#2,536
2024	12	#8,891	58	#2,413
2023	16	#7,217	49	#2,687
2022	16	#7,254	55	#2,513
2021	10	#10,223	60	#2,320
2020	15	#7,533	59	#2,320
2019	14	#8,095	46	#2,760
2018	10	#10,481	49	#2,612
2017	17	#7,064	53	#2,443
2016	16	#7,563	60	#2,253
2015	16	#7,575	58	#2,294
2014	15	#8,014	70	#2,039
2013	10	#10,924	71	#1,961
2012	15	#8,177	72	#1,980
2011	24	#5,708	89	#1,686
2010	14	#8,656	71	#1,971
2009	22	#6,291	90	#1,730
2008	27	#5,419	84	#1,791
2007	36	#4,285	103	#1,535
2006	31	#4,676	121	#1,348
2005	36	#4,023	107	#1,400
2004	41	#3,620	133	#1,177
2003	36	#3,867	131	#1,154
2002	48	#3,062	88	#1,458
2001	42	#3,309	95	#1,356
2000	32	#3,970	101	#1,288
1995	23	#4,500	44	#1,951
1990	38	#3,017	36	#2,081
1985	38	#2,590	26	#2,167
1980	159	#947	40	#1,543
1975	14	#4,566	16	#2,628
1970	5	#9,167	10	#3,257
1965	–	–	–	–
1960	–	–	–	–
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	–	–	–	–
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Famous people named Tai

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

1 Tai Kang King of the Xia dynasty Antiquity
2 Tai Wu King of Shang dynasty -1700–-1562 · Antiquity
3 Tai Geng King of Shang dynasty -1700–-1667 · Antiquity
4 Tai Orathai Thai singer (born 1980) Contemporary
5 Tai Jia King of Shang dynasty -1550–-1720 · Antiquity

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Tai?

The median living Tai is about 24 years old. Half of all living Tais are between 16 and 38 years old.

How many people named Tai are alive today?

An estimated 4,800 people named Tai are alive in the United States, based on 4,937 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Tai mean?

A female given name from Chinese.

How popular is the name Tai in 2025?

Tai ranked #2,536 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 53 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Tai?

4,937 babies have been named Tai in the United States since 1922, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Tai most popular?

Tai peaked in 1980, when 199 newborns received the name.

Is Tai a boy or girl name?

Tai is used for both: about 37% of babies named Tai have been girls and 63% boys.

Is the name Tai rising or falling?

Tai has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Tai become more popular?

Tai is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 57 boys named Tai in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Tai?

Well-known people named Tai include Tai Kang (politician), Tai Wu (politician), Tai Geng (politician).

Names like Tai

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

Compare Tai with similar names → More names starting with T →