Noah Boy
NOH-uh
“rest, comfort” · Hebrew
#2
Thai
UnisexVietnamese· “great; peaceful”
- Meaning
- great; peaceful
- Origin
- Vietnamese
- Pronunciation
- TY
- Syllables
- 1
- US rank 2025
- #11,846
- US babies 2025
- 6
- Best rank
- #1,532 (1983)
- Peak year
- 2000
Meaning and origin of Thai
Thai is a Vietnamese name that is usually said to mean “great; peaceful”.
Thai is a Vietnamese name, Thái, with meanings given as great, prosperous or peaceful, from Sino-Vietnamese. It appears in phrases like thái bình, peace. It is also the name of the Thai people and language of Thailand, which has a separate origin. In Vietnamese names, Thai can be a given name for both boys and girls. In English it is said TY, like the word tie. Ty is a related short name in English.
Popularity over time
Thai first appears in US Social Security records in 1975. It has never ranked in the national top 1,000, which keeps it genuinely uncommon. Its best national rank was #1,532 in 1983, and the most babies received it in 2000, when 42 were named Thai. In 2025, 6 babies were named Thai, and it ranked #11,846 nationally. That is 62% fewer than ten years earlier, so it is becoming less common.
Its national rank moved from #3,413 in 1980, #2,325 in 2000, #4,509 in 2010, and #11,846 in 2025. Of the 1,214 US boys named Thai since records began, 30% were born in the 2000s, its biggest decade. The 1990s come next, with 311 babies. Since 2010, 196 more have been named Thai.
Other babies' names that peaked around the same time include Nana, Rees, Devine, Raja, and Pacey.
Gender, sound and spelling
Thai is used for both boys and girls: over the last 20 years about 22% of US babies named Thai were girls and 78% were boys.
Thai is usually pronounced TY, with one syllable. It has four letters, starts with T and ends in “-ai”. Names that sound the same but are spelled differently include Ty, Tye, and Tai.
Middle names for Thai
A few middle names that flow with Thai: each avoids a matching first letter, a rhyme and a vowel clash where the names meet.
Sibling names for Thai
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Lists that include Thai
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Thai mean?
Thai is a Vietnamese name that is usually said to mean “great; peaceful”.
What is the origin of the name Thai?
Thai has Vietnamese roots. Thai is a Vietnamese name, Thái, with meanings given as great, prosperous or peaceful, from Sino-Vietnamese.
Is Thai a popular name?
Not especially. Thai ranked #11,846 in the US in 2025, which puts it outside the top 1,000.
Is Thai a boy or girl name?
Thai is used for both boys and girls: over the last 20 years about 22% of US babies named Thai were girls and 78% were boys.
How do you pronounce Thai?
Thai is usually pronounced TY. Stressed syllables are in capital letters.
Popularity figures come from US Social Security card applications (names given to at least five babies in a year, 1880 to 2025). How we source names and meanings