Dai
Dai is a given name. In Welsh it's a masculine given name, a hypocorism of Dafydd or David, as well as a masculine Japanese given name.
Meaning & Origin of Dai
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Dai is a given name. In Welsh it's a masculine given name, a hypocorism of Dafydd or David, as well as a masculine Japanese given name.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Dai
As a girl name
Dai first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1978, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1999, when 8 Dais were born — ranking #10,347 that year. As of 2026, Dai ranks #13,441 for girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 85 Dais have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Dai first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1976, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1985, when 12 Dais were born — ranking #3,598 that year. As of 2026, Dai ranks #9,567 for boys with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 122 Dais have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Dai
Phonetically similar names — useful when Dai is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dai
What does the name Dai mean?
How popular is Dai in 2026?
When was Dai most popular?
In which U.S. states is Dai most popular?
Is Dai a unisex name?
What names go well with Dai?
About the name Dai
Dai is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1976 and has accumulated 122 births in the dataset. Dai's peak popularity came in 1985 when it ranked #3,598. Use the chart and map above to compare Dai's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1985 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.