Rai
Boy name · #3813 in 2025 · Uniqueness 50/100
Rai is currently the #3813 boy name in the United States — 29 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #8040, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 62,069 boys born in 2025 was named Rai.
Babies named Rai per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 32-year story
Rai first appears in the Social Security records in 1993, when 8 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 36 babies and a rank of #3293. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Rai against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Rai in class?
Rai scores 50 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Rai is most common
State-level data for Rai is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Rai
Statistically, parents drawn to Rai tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Roi, Rei, Kanai, Cai, and Obi.
RoiReiKanaiCaiObiDakaiRamariKoi
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Rai | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29 | #3757 |
| 2024 | 28 | #3896 |
| 2023 | 36 | #3293 |
| 2022 | 29 | #3774 |
| 2021 | 18 | #5110 |
| 2020 | 15 | #5699 |
| 2019 | 16 | #5555 |
| 2018 | 12 | #6703 |
| 2017 | 13 | #6338 |
| 2016 | 21 | #4624 |
| 2015 | 9 | #8040 |
| 2014 | 11 | #7048 |
| 2013 | 10 | #7537 |
| 2012 | 11 | #7050 |
| 2011 | 11 | #7009 |
| 2010 | 11 | #7087 |
| 2009 | 11 | #7236 |
| 2008 | 9 | #8324 |
| 2007 | 10 | #7590 |
| 2006 | 5 | #12055 |
| 2005 | 16 | #5034 |
| 2003 | 10 | #6715 |
| 2000 | 7 | #8209 |
| 1998 | 7 | #7560 |
| 1995 | 9 | #5928 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Rai a popular boy name?
Rai ranked #3813 among boys in 2025 with 29 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #8040.
When was the name Rai most popular?
Rai peaked in 2023, when 36 American boys received the name (ranked #3293 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Rai?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 62,069 newborn American boys was named Rai. It scores 50/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
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.