Shai

Shai - A very unique male name

Shai appeared on the charts for the first time in 1987 on position #2851. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Shai and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Shai? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Shai. The baby boy name Shai was given to 171 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1018 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 8,575 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Shai peaked in popularity 4 years ago in 2022 on position 990.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Shai, 1-5?

Shai is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Shai is currently topping the baby name charts in Connecticut at position #434 - and is the least popular in Illinois at position #1,452.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Shai is where you live.

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Shai origin and meaning

Hebrew

'Gift' — Shai is the Hebrew word for a gift

Shai is a long-established Hebrew name for boys, simple and meaningful. In the US it stayed very rare until the 2020s, when basketball star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — whose first name is Shai — brought it wide attention; it peaked in 2022.

Attested etymology

Shai is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Shai, pop culture references for the name Shai and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Shai

We've found the following names that sound similar to Shai, sorted by popularity.

Sage / Shea / Shay / Sky / Shaya / Shia / Skye / Sasha / Sai / Sekou /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Shai

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Shai a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Shai?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

SHYE · /ʃaɪ/

Around the world

• Shai (Hebrew) — Used as-is in Hebrew, also transliterated Shay in other names.

Spellings and nicknames

• Shay — The anglicised spelling, a separate unisex name.

Famous bearers

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — Canadian NBA star, league MVP with Oklahoma City (b. 1998) Contemporary

Style

International

Why parents choose it

Shai is short, meaningful and newly visible thanks to a basketball superstar. It feels both ancient and current.

Worth knowing

• English speakers may say SHAY or even 'shy' — which is an unfortunate misreading of a confident name.
• The Gilgeous-Alexander association is now very strong.