Chai
- Gender
- Mostly boys
- Say it
- KHY
- Origin
- Hebrew
- US rank, 2025
- #8,360 for girls
Chai is a name of Hebrew origin, meaning “life”. In 2025 it ranked 8,360th for girls in the US (12 babies).
What does Chai mean?
Hebrew: Hebrew word; also a Thai name meaning 'victory'
“life”
Chai, 'life', is a popular Jewish symbol; its letters add up to 18, a lucky number in Jewish tradition.
Is Chai a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Chai has been given to girls and boys, mostly boys. In 2025, it was given to 12 girls and 6 boys in the US.
How popular is Chai in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2009, with 6 boys.
Chai in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 4 | #3,986 |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 6 | #2,970 |
| 2008 | 4 | #3,836 |
| 2007 | 3 | #4,486 |
| 2006 | 4 | #3,522 |
| 2005 | 3 | #3,992 |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 1 | #4,138 |
| 2000 | 3 | #3,146 |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 4 | #2,531 |
| 1997 | 3 | #2,979 |
How popular is Chai in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #8,360among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 12about 1 in 130,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Too rare to calltoo few babies to tell
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 12 girls in the US were named Chai, making it the 8,360th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 6,625th. Its busiest year was 2020, with 17 girls. It first appears in the records in 1977. 6 boys were also named Chai in 2025 (10,690th for boys).
Half of all the girls named Chai in the US since 1880 were born between 1996 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.
Chai in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12 | #8,360 |
| 2024 | 8 | #11,117 |
| 2023 | 12 | #8,481 |
| 2022 | 9 | #10,377 |
| 2021 | 16 | #6,962 |
| 2020 | 17 | #6,625 |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 9 | #10,540 |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 8 | #11,925 |
| 2013 | 7 | #13,145 |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 6 | #14,816 |
| 2010 | 5 | #16,985 |
| 2009 | 7 | #13,698 |
| 2008 | 6 | #15,399 |
| 2007 | 9 | #11,626 |
| 2006 | 6 | #15,147 |
| 2005 | 7 | #13,003 |
| 2004 | 5 | #16,092 |
| 2003 | 6 | #13,837 |
| 2002 | 7 | #12,181 |
| 2001 | 6 | #13,514 |
| 2000 | 9 | #9,867 |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 6 | #12,420 |
| 1997 | 10 | #8,329 |
| 1996 | 6 | #11,801 |
| 1995 | 7 | #10,509 |
| 1994 | 10 | #8,116 |
| 1993 | 5 | #13,435 |
| 1992 | 6 | #11,730 |
| 1991 | 7 | #10,263 |
| 1990 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 6 | #10,841 |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 6 | #9,820 |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 5 | #10,514 |
| 1981 | 6 | #9,108 |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 6 | #8,442 |
Names like Chai
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Tru Yuri Suki Dakota Sarai Kiyomi Koi Yumi Yuna Rumi Miyori Kyomi
Names related to Chai
More Hebrew names
Noah Isabella Elijah James Jack Mia Ava Jude Ezra Benjamin Isaac Jacob Ethan Daniel Samuel Elias
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Chai: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/chai, updated 20 October 2026.