Unisex name · since 1971
Shai
Shai has 2,469 recorded births since 1971 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2023 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2,892 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,031 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,469
- born since 1971
- 2020s
- peak decade
Shai currently ranks #1031 among unisex names in America, with 2,469 babies recorded since 1971.
Social Security Administration records show Shai recorded 2,469 times among boys since 1971, holding rank #1031 nationally today, ahead of 93% of boys, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1971 to 2025.
- #2,892 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,031 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 2,469 born since 1971
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shai ranks #2,892 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,031 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 2,469 born since 1971, peaking in the 2020s.
- #2,892 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,031 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,469
- born since 1971
- 2020s
- peak decade
Shai's 2,469 recorded births place it above 93.64% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
19 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Shai compares
2,469 Top 20% higher than 80% of 13,930 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
Shai's all-time total is 7x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shai | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,469 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 224 | 34 | 22,252 |
Shai's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shai splits its recorded history at 2000: 85% of all births land in the more recent half, 15% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1972 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2023 peak of 224 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shai popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1971–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 224
- Annual births at peak, across 55 years of records
Shai popularity over time - girls
1,871 total births recorded since 1968 (Shai as girls' name)
Shai by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (1,177 births, 48% of the file).
2020s was Shai's strongest decade.
1,177 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 48% of all-time use.
Shai births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 34
1970s
34 births
- 1980s 80
1980s
80 births
- 1990s 254
1990s
254 births
- 2000s 354
2000s
354 births
- 2010s
2010s
570 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,177 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 1,177 births (48% of all-time use).
How Shai 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 Shai's total volume
Shai by state
Where Shai concentrates geographically, total births since 1971
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 324 | 13.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 324 | 13.1% |
| #3 | Florida | | 143 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Texas | | 86 | 3.5% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 82 | 3.3% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 76 | 3.1% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 59 | 2.4% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 43 | 1.7% |
324 of 2,469 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 19 reporting states.
Shai appears in 19 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Shai's data
- California records the most Shais (324 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shai
Nearby Names Like Shai
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shai
Compare Shai side by side: Shai vs Shawn Shai vs Shane Shai vs Shaun
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shai
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shai: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2023)
Similar record span (~54 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1971–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Shai 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 August 2026.