Chi
- Gender
- Mostly boys
- Say it
- CHEE
- Origin
- Igbo
- US rank, 2025
- #6,545 for girls
Chi is a name of Igbo origin, meaning “personal spirit, God”. In 2025 it ranked 6,545th for girls in the US (17 babies).
What does Chi mean?
Igbo: Igbo word for a personal god; also a Chinese and Vietnamese name
“personal spirit, God”
In Igbo belief chi is a person's guardian spirit, as in Chioma; Chi is also a Chinese and Vietnamese name.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Chi a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Chi has been given to girls and boys, mostly boys. In 2025, it was given to 17 girls and 9 boys in the US.
How popular is Chi in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1996, with 17 boys.
Half of all the boys named Chi in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2011. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2012, 27% of the babies named Chi in the UK were girls.
Chi in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | #4,346 |
| 2023 | 3 | #5,193 |
| 2022 | 4 | #4,195 |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 1 | #6,143 |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 3 | #4,995 |
| 2016 | 3 | #5,015 |
| 2015 | 3 | #4,955 |
| 2014 | 7 | #2,843 |
| 2013 | 8 | #2,541 |
| 2012 | 8 | #2,595 |
| 2011 | 8 | #2,503 |
| 2010 | 3 | #4,865 |
| 2009 | 5 | #3,395 |
| 2008 | 3 | #4,615 |
| 2007 | 7 | #2,554 |
| 2006 | 4 | #3,522 |
| 2005 | 8 | #2,090 |
| 2004 | 8 | #1,983 |
| 2003 | 13 | #1,328 |
| 2002 | 16 | #1,109 |
| 2001 | 6 | #2,049 |
| 2000 | 13 | #1,165 |
| 1999 | 12 | #1,188 |
| 1998 | 12 | #1,180 |
| 1997 | 12 | #1,174 |
| 1996 | 17 | #897 |
How popular is Chi in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #6,545among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 17about 1 in 95,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 60% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 17 girls in the US were named Chi, making it the 6,545th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 6,625th. Its busiest year was 2023, with 32 girls. It first appears in the records in 1970. 9 boys were also named Chi in 2025 (8,239th for boys).
2025 had fewer girls named Chi than any year since 2020.
Half of all the girls named Chi in the US since 1880 were born between 1981 and 2014, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2024, 55% of the babies named Chi in the US were girls.
Chi in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17 | #6,545 |
| 2024 | 18 | #6,391 |
| 2023 | 32 | #4,361 |
| 2022 | 21 | #5,790 |
| 2021 | 26 | #4,960 |
| 2020 | 17 | #6,625 |
| 2019 | 18 | #6,410 |
| 2018 | 7 | #12,459 |
| 2017 | 12 | #8,772 |
| 2016 | 9 | #10,855 |
| 2015 | 10 | #10,143 |
| 2014 | 10 | #10,124 |
| 2013 | 6 | #14,577 |
| 2012 | 11 | #9,706 |
| 2011 | 8 | #12,146 |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 12 | #9,375 |
| 2008 | 5 | #17,498 |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 15 | #7,495 |
| 2004 | 8 | #11,617 |
| 2003 | 5 | #15,777 |
| 2002 | 5 | #15,426 |
| 2001 | 8 | #11,013 |
| 2000 | 7 | #11,794 |
| 1999 | 6 | #12,681 |
| 1998 | 12 | #7,527 |
| 1997 | 8 | #9,797 |
| 1996 | 10 | #8,127 |
| 1995 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 15 | #5,978 |
| 1993 | 13 | #6,615 |
| 1992 | 18 | #5,260 |
| 1991 | 19 | #4,998 |
| 1990 | 24 | #4,115 |
| 1989 | 11 | #6,949 |
| 1988 | 17 | #4,835 |
| 1987 | 14 | #5,307 |
| 1986 | 17 | #4,536 |
| 1985 | 16 | #4,633 |
| 1984 | 26 | #3,232 |
| 1983 | 20 | #3,805 |
| 1982 | 27 | #3,171 |
| 1981 | 19 | #4,004 |
| 1980 | 25 | #3,318 |
| 1979 | 11 | #5,750 |
| 1978 | 19 | #3,777 |
| 1977 | 21 | #3,485 |
| 1976 | 20 | #3,406 |
| 1975 | 20 | #3,403 |
| 1974 | 28 | #2,616 |
| 1973 | 29 | #2,506 |
| 1972 | 6 | #7,290 |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 5 | #7,994 |
Names like Chi
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Nyomi Kobi Demi Niomi Zuri Chizaram Simi Nayomi Kayomi Chiara Remi Imani
Names related to Chi
More Igbo names
Amara Munachimso Chimamanda Jidenna Kamsiyochukwu Amarachi Tobechukwu Obi Mazi Adanna Adaeze Chidera Chidubem Ifechukwu Chisom Tobenna
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, “Chi: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/chi, updated 20 October 2026.