Cai
Gender-neutral name · Vietnamese · Welsh
- US rank
- #2,108
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #1,611 in 2022
69 babies were named Cai in the US in 2025. It has climbed 5 places in five years.
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1996–2025
US births per million boys, 1989–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Cai you might not know, from US birth records. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
- How commonAbout 1 in every 24,752 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Cai, 69 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Cai would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryCai first shows up in US birth records in 1989, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 36 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 2022, when it reached #1,611.
- Then vs nowCai is 5.0× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 123,457 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 24,752.
- Where it's lovedCai is most popular in Indiana, where it ranks #844, followed by Missouri (#869). It's in the top 1,000 in 2 states.
- Boy or girlCai is given to both boys and girls: 85% of the 81 babies named Cai in 2025 were boys. That makes it one of the names that truly works for either.
- OriginCai is the #4 most popular Vietnamese boy name in the US. That's out of 41 Vietnamese boy and unisex names in our list.
About the name Cai
Cai is a gender-neutral name of Vietnamese and Welsh origin. It has 3 letters and 1 syllable, starting with C and ending in “-cai”. US birth records list Cai for boys from 1989 to 2025, in 35 of those 37 years. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked #1,611 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #2,108, with 69 babies. Of the 81 US babies named Cai in 2025, 15% were girls and 85% were boys.
Origin:Vietnamese namesWelsh names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.1 | 465,116 girls |
| 2000s | 5.7 | 174,520 girls |
| 2010s | 13 | 74,627 girls |
| 2020s | 14 | 69,525 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.5 | 400,000 boys |
| 1990s | 3.1 | 322,581 boys |
| 2000s | 13 | 75,245 boys |
| 2010s | 33 | 30,285 boys |
| 2020s | 48 | 20,783 boys |
Other spellings of Cai
More Vietnamese names
- Girl name: Nhi · small, little
- Unisex name: Nairi · ancient name of Armenia
- Girl name: Quynh · night-blooming flower
- Unisex name: Lan · orchid
- Unisex name: Bay · bay
- Unisex name: Bijou · jewel
- Boy name: Teo
- Unisex name: Cam
Questions about the name Cai
What is the origin of the name Cai?
Cai has Vietnamese, Welsh roots in our records. Other Vietnamese names include Nhi, Nairi, Quynh.
Is Cai a boy or girl name?
Both. Cai is used for boys and girls: in 2025, 15% of US babies named Cai were girls.
How popular is the name Cai?
Cai ranked #2,108 for US boys in 2025, given to 69 babies. Its best year was 2022 (#1,611).