Ashai
A gender-neutral name of Aramaic origin meaning "wanderer" or "traveler".
Name Census estimates that about 129 living Americans carry the first name Ashai. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 72.3% of registrations being male. The average person named Ashai today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ashai births was 2022 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ashai. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Ashai with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
129
~ 1 in 2,657,010 Americans
Peak year
2022
18 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,475
Tracked since 1997
Gender
Gender distribution for Ashai
Ashai is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 130 total registrations, 94 (72.3%) were male and 36 (27.7%) were female.
Ashai as a male name
- Ranked #6,475 in 2024
- 13 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (13 births)
Ashai as a female name
- Ranked #13,789 in 2022
- 6 female births in 2022
- Peak: 2022 (6 births)
Popularity
Ashai: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ashai from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 60 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ashai by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ashai during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ashai
The name Ashai is believed to have originated in ancient India, derived from the Sanskrit word "Ashaya," meaning "abode" or "dwelling place." Its roots can be traced back to the Vedic scriptures, which date back to around 1500 BCE.
One of the earliest known references to the name Ashai can be found in the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic poem composed between the 8th and 4th centuries BCE. In this text, the name is mentioned in relation to a wise sage or rishi who imparted spiritual knowledge to his disciples.
During the medieval period in India, between the 6th and 13th centuries CE, the name Ashai gained popularity among Hindu communities. It was often associated with those who pursued a spiritual path or dedicated themselves to the study of ancient texts.
In the 14th century CE, a prominent Indian scholar and poet named Ashai Bhatta authored several works on grammar, philosophy, and literature. His contributions to the field of Sanskrit literature earned him widespread recognition during his lifetime and beyond.
Another notable figure in history was Ashai Khan, a military commander who served under the Mughal Empire in the 16th century CE. He played a crucial role in various military campaigns and was known for his strategic prowess on the battlefield.
In the realm of Indian classical music, Ashai Bhosle, a renowned vocalist and musician from the 18th century CE, left a lasting impact on the Hindustani classical tradition. Her compositions and renditions continue to be revered by musicians and connoisseurs alike.
During the 19th century CE, Ashai Devi, a influential Hindu reformer and social activist, championed the cause of women's education and worked tirelessly to uplift the underprivileged sections of society in India.
While the name Ashai is primarily associated with the Indian subcontinent, its meaning and historical significance have transcended geographical boundaries, making it a name with a rich cultural heritage and spiritual connotations.
People
Ashai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ashai as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ashai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ashai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 129 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ashai going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,657,010 US residents.
Is Ashai a common name?
We classify Ashai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 130 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ashai most popular?
The single biggest year for Ashai was 2022, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ashai is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ashai in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ashai a male name?
Yes, 72.3% of people registered as Ashai in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ashai still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ashai in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ashai can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Ashai?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.