Thais
Feminine
Thais belonged to a woman who traveled with Alexander's army into Persia, and to a fourth-century Egyptian penitent whose story medieval Europe told and retold; a French opera of 1894 fixed the second version in the western imagination. What the name itself means has never been established.
How old is the name Thais?
Thais first appears in US birth records in 1909 — 116 years ago. The typical Thais alive today was born around 1985, making them about 40 years old. About 1,600 people named Thais are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Thais most popular?
Thais peaked in 1910, reaching #1421 nationally. Today it ranks #4987, 3,566 places below that high. See the whole 1910 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
The story of Thais
The historical Thais was an Athenian companion of one of Alexander's generals and later a queen in Egypt, and a story that she urged the burning of Persepolis attached itself to her afterward. Separately, a legend of an Egyptian courtesan who repented and became a desert ascetic circulated widely in medieval Europe. A novel of 1890 and the opera built on it made the second story famous again. The name has been used in France, Brazil and Spain, and reached American records from those directions.
Meaningnot established
Not established
The Greek Thais has no accepted etymology. A connection to a word for a bandage or binding has been proposed and is not convincing. The name is well attested in classical Greek use, which is more than can be said for its meaning.
Pronouncing Thais
tah-EES
Two syllables with the stress at the end and the two vowels said separately, which the diaeresis in the French and Greek spellings marks. English speakers usually say THAY-iss instead.
Nicknames for Thais
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1909
- Most girls named
- 200184 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1421reached in 1910
- Change vs 2023
- −27.8%26 in 2025, from 36
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Thais in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Θαΐς in Greek — transliteration
- Thaïs in French — same name
- Thaís in Portuguese — same name
- Thais in Spanish — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: Florida, California, Texas.
Thaiss among us
people named Thais are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 61,818 born in 2025 was named Thais
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Thais sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Thais is headed
Thais looks set to keep climbing gently, with roughly 23% more babies a year by 2030 if the current curve holds.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Thais beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Thais in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- It carries two documented figures and an opera, which is a great deal of history for five letters.
- It is well used in Brazil, so it belongs to a living community rather than only to antiquity.
- The spelling is short and striking on a page.
- The two vowels are said separately, which almost no English reader guesses.
- Its meaning is genuinely unknown, so anything given for it is a guess.
- Both of its historical bearers are remembered partly for their sexual histories, which some families weigh.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Thais to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Thais? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Thais
Feminine · #4987 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Thaiss are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,600 people named Thais are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Thais in 2025?
- Thais ranks #4987 among US girl names in 2025, with 26 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Thais?
- About 1 in every 61,818 US girls born in 2025 was named Thais — 26 in all.
- Will my child share the name Thais with classmates?
- Thais will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Thais
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Perri#4987 · Giannina#4987 · Karisma#4987 · Zuleyka#4987 · Mccall#4987 · Makinley#4987 · Jayani#4987 · Mela#4987
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Thais? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Thais and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle