Shai
Boy name · #1031 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Shai? In official American birth records, Shai has been tracked continuously since 1971, giving it 54 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
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 "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
Geography matters for names, and Shai is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Shai is most common in NJ (0.4 per 1,000), NY (0.3 per 1,000), FL (0.2 per 1,000), PA (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Shai is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
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
How old is the name Shai?
In official American birth records, the name Shai first appeared in 1971 (over 54 years ago), when 7 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 54 years.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.