Chaim

Did you know?

A few things about Chaim you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Chaim

Chaim Potok

American rabbi and author (1929–2002)

Choose Chaim and your child shares a first name with Chaim Potok, an American rabbi and author. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Chaim, like who?” Chaim Potok's Wikipedia article is available in 20 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Chaim Potok on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Deborah Thomas, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 4,156 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Chaim, 411 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Chaim would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryChaim first shows up in US birth records in 1942, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 83 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 2022, when it reached #607.
• 📈Then vs nowChaim is 2.6× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 10,787 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 4,156.
• 📍Where it's lovedChaim is most popular in New York, where it ranks #62, followed by New Jersey (#76). It's in the top 1,000 in 2 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Hebrew, Chaim means “life”.

About the name Chaim

Chaim is a boy name meaning “life”. It has 5 letters and 1 syllable, starting with C and ending in “-aim”. US birth records list Chaim for boys from 1942 to 2025, in 83 of those 84 years. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked #607 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #666, with 411 babies.