Total births
384
Unisex name · since 1981
Chai
Chai has 384 recorded births since 1981 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1993 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6004
- among boys today
- 384
- born since 1981
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 58%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Chai is the #6004 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 384 recorded since 1981.
Chai has 384 recorded births among boys since 1981, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #6004 as of the latest data, more common than 58% of boys, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1981 to 2025.
- #6004 among boys today
- 384 born since 1981
- 1990s peak decade
- 58% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Chai is currently the #6004 unisex name in America, more common than 58% of boys - 384 born since 1981, peaking in the 1990s.
- #6004
- among boys today
- 384
- born since 1981
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 58%
- more common than other boys
Chai vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#6004
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 58% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Chai was born in this single decade.
1993
Single peak year
16 babies were named Chai in 1993 - its busiest year on record.
How Chai compares
384 Top 49% higher than 51% 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
Chai's all-time total is 5% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Chai | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 384 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 16 | 23 | 22,252 |
Chai's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Chai's full recorded timeline at 2002, 45% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 55% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1998, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1993 peak of 16 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Chai at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1993
Current rank
#6,004
Active since
1981
Chai popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1981–2025
- Peak year (1993)
- 16
- Annual births at peak, across 45 years of records
Chai popularity over time - girls
263 total births recorded since 1977 (Chai as girls' name)
Chai by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Chai's strongest decade.
105 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Chai births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s
1980s
87 births
- 1990s
1990s
105 births
- 2000s
2000s
91 births
- 2010s
2010s
50 births
- 2020s
2020s
51 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 105 births (27% of all-time use).
Chai by state
Where Chai concentrates geographically, total births since 1981
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 55 | 14.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 7 | 1.8% |
California share of Chai's total US births 14.3%
Even split
55 of 384 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Chai? ▼
Since 1981, Social Security records show 384 babies named Chai. Today it holds rank #6004 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1993, with 16 births.
When was Chai most popular? ▼
Chai was most popular in the 1990s decade with 105 total births. The single peak year was 1993.
Where is Chai most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Chai are California (55 births), New York (7 births).
Is Chai a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Chai is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 384 births, and as a girl's name it has 263 births.
How long has the name Chai been used? ▼
Records for Chai go back to 1981, giving 45 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Chai? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Charles, Chad, Charlie, Chase, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Chai's data
- Chai's usage has stayed within range of its 1990s decade-level peak (105 total births) through the 2020s (51) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Chais (55 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Chai
Nearby Names Like Chai
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Chai
Charles Boy
#51 2,434,659 births
Chad Boy
#1814 240,728 births
Charlie Boy
#176 184,280 births
Chase Boy
#173 181,160 births
Chance Boy
#418 54,622 births
Compare Chai side by side: Chai vs Charles Chai vs Chad Chai vs Charlie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Chai
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, 1981–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Chai: #6004 Unisex Name - 384 Births, Peak 1993." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/chai. 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 Chai 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.