Girl & boy name
Shai
Shai holds the #1030 spot on the 2025 list of the most popular boy names in the U.S. That amounts to 215 newborn boys in a single year. The name is on the way up, moving from #1437 in 2020 to #1030 today. Its strongest year on record was 2023 (#977 nationally, 224 newborns), in a data series reaching back to 1971. The name's biggest fan base is in Connecticut (#382 there in 2025).
Rankings
Shai popularity, 1880–2025
Where Shai is most popular
Uniqueness score
Well known, but far from crowded — the middle of the field. Based on how many babies per birth were named Shai in the most recent year of SSA data.
Similar names
Shai as a girl name
As of 2025, Shai ranks #2326 among American girls' names, according to Social Security records. 78 girls received the name that year. Its position has barely moved over the past five years — a sign of steady, established appeal. SSA records for Shai go back to 1968; the peak came in 1993 at #1664, with 90 babies named that year. Geographically, it's strongest in New York, where it ranks #1235 among girl names.