Holding steady.
Popularity of Chayna since 1983
Babies named Chayna per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 59 |
| 1990s | 91 |
| 2000s | 42 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Chayna is a rare modern name that appeared in the United States in the 1980s, first recorded in 1983. It peaked in 1989, when it was given to dozens of baby girls, but it has never entered the official top 1000 rankings. The name's trajectory has been stable since the early 2000s, with very few annual births. Its origins are ambiguous: it may be a creative spelling of Cheyenne or a respelling of Shayna, both of which were moderately popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Chayna is predominantly given to girls, and no states have reported concentrated usage. As a modern coinage, its appeal lies in its phonetic resemblance to more established names like Cheyenne and its distinct -ayna ending.
Chayna likely emerged as a modern American coinage, possibly influenced by the Native American tribal name Cheyenne or as a spelling variant of Shayna (from Yiddish shayn 'beautiful'). Its usage in the United States began in the 1980s, reaching a peak in 1989, but it has never been a common name, with rankings typically outside the top 1000.
“Chayna” around the world
Where Chayna lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Chay, Chaya
Sibling names for Chayna
Names that share Chayna's style, for a brother or sister.
