Shai
Girl name · #2340 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Shai? In official American birth records, Shai has been tracked continuously since 1968, giving it 57 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
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?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Shai is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". 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
State-level data for Shai is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
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
How old is the name Shai?
In official American birth records, the name Shai first appeared in 1968 (over 57 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 57 years.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.