Shai
Boy name · #1031 in 2025 · Uniqueness 40/100
Shai ranks #1031 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 215 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2486, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 8,372 boys born in 2025 was named Shai.
The 54-year story
Shai first appears in the Social Security records in 1971, when 7 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 224 babies and a rank of #977. 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 Shai per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Shai against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Shai in class?
Shai scores 40 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 Shai is most common
Geography matters for names, and Shai is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Shais were CA (30), NY (29), FL (23), TX (16), NJ (14). 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, Sakai, Akai, Azai, and Santi.
KhaiSakaiAkaiAzaiSantiMasaiKenaiSai
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Shai | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 215 | #1030 |
| 2024 | 200 | #1087 |
| 2023 | 224 | #977 |
| 2022 | 219 | #1015 |
| 2021 | 199 | #1071 |
| 2020 | 120 | #1437 |
| 2019 | 98 | #1652 |
| 2018 | 75 | #1959 |
| 2017 | 66 | #2091 |
| 2016 | 52 | #2437 |
| 2015 | 50 | #2486 |
| 2014 | 35 | #3154 |
| 2013 | 50 | #2461 |
| 2012 | 55 | #2326 |
| 2011 | 44 | #2699 |
| 2010 | 45 | #2682 |
| 2009 | 45 | #2702 |
| 2008 | 55 | #2345 |
| 2007 | 42 | #2811 |
| 2006 | 34 | #3153 |
| 2005 | 27 | #3528 |
| 2004 | 33 | #3014 |
| 2003 | 34 | #2847 |
| 2002 | 35 | #2685 |
| 2001 | 23 | #3617 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Shai a popular boy name?
Shai ranked #1031 among boys in 2025 with 215 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2486.
When was the name Shai most popular?
Shai peaked in 2023, when 224 American boys received the name (ranked #977 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 8,372 newborn American boys was named Shai. It scores 40/100 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.