Total births
1,450
Unisex name · since 1989
Cai
1,450 babies named Cai in U.S. Social Security records since 1989, with the highest year being 2022. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1913
- among boys today
- 1,450
- born since 1989
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other boys
Cai currently ranks #1913 among unisex names in America, with 1,450 babies recorded since 1989.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cai has been recorded 1,450 times among boys since 1989, currently ranked #1913 nationally and more common than 87% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1989 to 2025.
- #1913 among boys today
- 1,450 born since 1989
- 2010s peak decade
- 87% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cai is currently the #1913 unisex name in America, more common than 87% of boys - 1,450 born since 1989, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1913
- among boys today
- 1,450
- born since 1989
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other boys
Cai vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1913
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 87% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
43% of everyone ever named Cai was born in this single decade.
2022
Single peak year
108 babies were named Cai in 2022 - its busiest year on record.
How Cai compares
1,450 Top 25% higher than 75% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Cai's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cai | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,450 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 108 | 23 | 22,252 |
Cai's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Cai's full recorded timeline at 2008, 83% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 17% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1989, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2022 peak of 108 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Cai at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2022
Current rank
#1,913
Active since
1989
Cai popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1989–2025
- Peak year (2022)
- 108
- Annual births at peak, across 37 years of records
Cai popularity over time - girls
495 total births recorded since 1996 (Cai as girls' name)
Cai by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Cai's strongest decade.
620 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 43% of all-time use.
Cai births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s 60
1990s
60 births
- 2000s
2000s
266 births
- 2010s
2010s
620 births
- 2020s
2020s
499 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 620 births (43% of all-time use).
How Cai compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Cai's total volume
Cai vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Cai by state
Where Cai concentrates geographically, total births since 1989
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 113 | 7.8% |
| #2 | Florida | | 110 | 7.6% |
| #3 | California | | 89 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 42 | 2.9% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 24 | 1.7% |
| #6 | Missouri | | 15 | 1.0% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 15 | 1.0% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 12 | 0.8% |
Texas share of Cai's total US births 7.8%
Even split
113 of 1,450 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 18 reporting states.
Cai appears in 18 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cai? ▼
1,450 babies have been named Cai since 1989. It currently ranks #1913 among boys. The peak year was 2022 with 108 births.
When was Cai most popular? ▼
Cai was most popular in the 2010s decade with 620 total births. The single peak year was 2022.
Where is Cai most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cai are Texas (113 births), Florida (110 births), California (89 births).
Is Cai a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Cai is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 1,450 births, and as a girl's name it has 495 births.
How long has the name Cai been used? ▼
Cai has been recorded in Social Security data since 1989, spanning 37 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Cai? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Caiden, Cairo, Cain, Caius, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Cai's data
- Cai's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (620 total births) through the 2020s (499) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Cais (113 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cai
Nearby Names Like Cai
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cai
Caiden Boy
#546 23,341 births
Cairo Boy
#355 9,415 births
Cain Boy
#981 7,628 births
Caius Boy
#1060 2,329 births
Caine Boy
#2272 2,104 births
Compare Cai side by side: Cai vs Caiden Cai vs Cairo Cai vs Cain
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cai
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1989–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cai: #1913 Unisex Name - 1,450 Births, Peak 2022." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cai. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Cai draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.