Shai
Girl name · #2340 in 2025 · Uniqueness 68/100
Shai is currently the #2340 girl name in the United States — 78 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #4488, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 23,077 girls born in 2025 was named Shai.
Babies named Shai per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 57-year story
Shai first appears in the Social Security records in 1968, when 5 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 116 babies and a rank of #1762. 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 Shai against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Shai in class?
Shai scores 68 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 Shai will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Shai is most common
Geography matters for names, and Shai is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Shais were NY (11), FL (10), CA (8), TX (7), GA (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 Shai
Statistically, parents drawn to Shai tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Khai, Sinai, Skai, Zari, and Tali.
KhaiSinaiSkaiZariTaliSoraSoleiDevi
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Shai | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 78 | #2326 |
| 2024 | 101 | #1955 |
| 2023 | 116 | #1762 |
| 2022 | 107 | #1885 |
| 2021 | 96 | #2007 |
| 2020 | 71 | #2441 |
| 2019 | 59 | #2814 |
| 2018 | 48 | #3293 |
| 2017 | 36 | #4066 |
| 2016 | 30 | #4632 |
| 2015 | 31 | #4488 |
| 2014 | 26 | #5163 |
| 2013 | 20 | #6255 |
| 2012 | 33 | #4387 |
| 2011 | 34 | #4244 |
| 2010 | 25 | #5414 |
| 2009 | 34 | #4370 |
| 2008 | 40 | #3936 |
| 2007 | 41 | #3848 |
| 2006 | 41 | #3734 |
| 2005 | 26 | #4958 |
| 2004 | 25 | #5062 |
| 2003 | 25 | #4943 |
| 2002 | 34 | #3810 |
| 2001 | 38 | #3486 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Shai a popular girl name?
Shai ranked #2340 among girls in 2025 with 78 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4488.
When was the name Shai most popular?
Shai peaked in 2023, when 116 American girls received the name (ranked #1762 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Shai?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 23,077 newborn American girls was named Shai. It scores 68/100 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.