Cai
Boy name · #2118 in 2025 · Uniqueness 71/100
Cai ranks #2118 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 69 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1815, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 26,087 boys born in 2025 was named Cai.
The 36-year story
Cai first appears in the Social Security records in 1989, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 108 babies and a rank of #1611. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Cai per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Cai against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Cai in class?
Cai scores 71 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Cai will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Cai is most common
Geography matters for names, and Cai is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Cais were FL (7), TX (7), IN (6), MO (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Cai
Statistically, parents drawn to Cai tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Mordecai, Sai, Akai, Zaccai, and Adonai.
MordecaiSaiAkaiZaccaiAdonaiNakaiRaiCamari
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Cai | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 69 | #2108 |
| 2024 | 83 | #1902 |
| 2023 | 86 | #1851 |
| 2022 | 108 | #1611 |
| 2021 | 87 | #1799 |
| 2020 | 66 | #2113 |
| 2019 | 66 | #2150 |
| 2018 | 65 | #2147 |
| 2017 | 68 | #2049 |
| 2016 | 82 | #1828 |
| 2015 | 82 | #1815 |
| 2014 | 71 | #2000 |
| 2013 | 55 | #2299 |
| 2012 | 54 | #2358 |
| 2011 | 39 | #2950 |
| 2010 | 38 | #3014 |
| 2009 | 41 | #2894 |
| 2008 | 39 | #3005 |
| 2007 | 29 | #3591 |
| 2006 | 23 | #4105 |
| 2005 | 29 | #3389 |
| 2004 | 27 | #3456 |
| 2003 | 25 | #3528 |
| 2002 | 20 | #4044 |
| 2001 | 17 | #4476 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Cai a popular boy name?
Cai ranked #2118 among boys in 2025 with 69 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1815.
When was the name Cai most popular?
Cai peaked in 2022, when 108 American boys received the name (ranked #1611 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Cai?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 26,087 newborn American boys was named Cai. It scores 71/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.