Holding steady, #14,942 for girls today.
Popularity of Shaia since 1982
Babies named Shaia per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2009, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Shaia's real moment was 2019.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5 | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 | 0 |
| 2000s | 30 | 0 |
| 2010s | 40 | 0 |
| 2020s | 23 | 16 |
Meaning & origin
Shaia is a modern feminine name that entered U.S. records in 1982 and has remained exceptionally rare. Its peak usage came in 2019, though even then it never appeared widely. As of 2025, it ranks 14,942 with a 1-in-321,453 incidence, reflecting its status as a distinctive, uncommon choice. The name's trajectory is stable, with no significant upward or downward trend, and it has not recorded notable popularity in any state. Shaia's origin is uncertain; it may be a creative variant of Hebrew-derived Shaya or a purely invented modern coinage, typical of names built around the appealing 'sh' sound and '-ia' suffix. Parents drawn to Shaia often pair it with sister names like Maya or Kaya and brother names such as Kai or Zion. Without a clear etymology or historical roots, Shaia remains a name of personal rather than traditional significance.
Shaia is a modern name that first appeared in US records in 1982. It may be a creative respelling of Shaya (a Hebrew name meaning 'gift') or a feminine form of Shay. Alternatively, it could be a novel coinage from the fashionable 'sh' sound and the popular '-ia' suffix. Its usage has remained rare and stable over the decades.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Shay, Shai
Variants: Shaya, Shayia, Shaeya
Sibling names for Shaia
Names that share Shaia's style, for a brother or sister.
