Given name & surname · also Chinese
Tai
“a very big woman”·“one who is talented and prosperous”·“one who is talented”
Tai is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “a very big woman”, “one who is talented and prosperous”, and “one who is talented”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Original Chinese邰
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “a very big woman”, “one who is talented and prosperous”, and “one who is talented”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Chinese and Vietnamese naming traditions.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1922. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Tai through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,937
- 3,122 boys · 1,815 girls
- Most popular year
- 1980
- 199 babies
- 2025
- 64
- #2,536 for boys · #9,397 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- 0%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 80% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 53 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,536 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 3.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 133 in 2004. It also appeared in 11 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (10). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 10,097 as a first name in 2020; 4,753 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Tai’s family of names
Tai has a related form in Tay. In Greek usage, Tai as a surname is a transliteration of Τάι. In Greek usage, Tai as a surname is a transliteration of Ταη.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Tai has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Vietnamese roots to each of them.
4 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 10
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- 邰source · Chinese
- Toiequivalent
- Daequivalent
- 太equivalent
- 臺equivalent
- Tháiequivalent
- 台equivalent
- 大equivalent
Show 2 moreShow fewer
People named Tai
- Shō Tailast king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom (1843-1901)
- Zhou TaiGeneral serving warlord Sun Quan (died c.223)200–228
- Tai BariboIsraeli footballerborn 1998
- Tai AbedIsraeli association footballerborn 2004
- Tai HaraAustralian actorborn 1990
- Mai Tai Singactor (1923-2018)
- Tai OdiasePuerto Rican basketball player (born 1995)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Tai, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Hai
“of the river”
96% boys · 4% girls
Tung
“resembling the coniferous tree”
>99% boys
Thanh
“one who is accomplished”
63% boys · 37% girls
Tuan
“a gentleman”
>99% boys
Thach
Thach is a surname from Vietnamese. It is used in English and French.
>99% boys
Toan
“one who is safe”
>99% boys
Minh
“a clever man”
92% boys · 8% girls
Tu
“one who is quick-minded”
73% boys · 27% girls