Chae
A unisex Korean name meaning "renew" or "grace."
Name Census estimates that about 310 living Americans carry the first name Chae. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 54.2% of registrations being female. The average person named Chae today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chae births was 1988 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chae. 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.
People living today
310
~ 1 in 1,105,659 Americans
Peak year
1988
31 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2004 SSA rank
#9,096
Tracked since 1970
Gender
Gender distribution for Chae
Chae is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 323 total registrations, 148 (45.8%) were male and 175 (54.2%) were female.
Chae as a male name
- Ranked #9,096 in 2004
- 7 male births in 2004
- Peak: 1989 (10 births)
Chae as a female name
- Ranked #14,845 in 2005
- 6 female births in 2005
- Peak: 1988 (24 births)
Popularity
Chae: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chae from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 133 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Chae remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chae 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 Chae 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 Chae
The name Chae is believed to have its origins in Korean culture, dating back several centuries. It is derived from the Korean word "chae," which means "wisdom" or "intelligence." This name has been used in Korea for generations, often given to children with the hope that they would grow up to be wise and knowledgeable individuals.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Chae can be found in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, a historical record that spans several centuries of Korean history. In this text, there are mentions of individuals with the name Chae, indicating its prevalence during that time period.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Chae. One such individual was Chae Yeong-sin (1316-1388), a renowned Korean scholar and philosopher during the Goryeo Dynasty. He was known for his contributions to Confucian thought and his influential writings on ethics and morality.
Another prominent figure with the name Chae was Chae Jegong (1624-1651), a Korean scholar and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of mathematics during the Joseon Dynasty. His work on the theory of equations and algebraic equations was highly acclaimed and influential in his time.
In the realm of literature, Chae Mansik (1902-1950) was a famous Korean novelist and playwright. He is renowned for his work in depicting the struggles and social issues faced by the Korean people during the Japanese colonial period. His novels, such as "Chuksuryu" and "Sangryunjon," are considered classics in Korean literature.
Chae Byung-ok (1912-1998) was a prominent Korean politician and diplomat who played a crucial role in the formation of the Republic of Korea. He served as the first Prime Minister of South Korea from 1948 to 1950 and later held various diplomatic positions, including serving as the Ambassador to the United States.
In the field of sports, Chae Yun-seong (born 1987) is a notable figure. He is a South Korean professional baseball player who has played for various teams in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) league. Chae is known for his exceptional pitching skills and has been a valuable asset to his teams throughout his career.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have borne the name Chae throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence and significance in Korean culture and society.
People
Chae + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chae as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chae: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chae?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 310 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chae 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 1,105,659 US residents.
Is Chae a common name?
We classify Chae as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 323 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chae most popular?
The single biggest year for Chae was 1988, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chae is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chae a female name?
Yes, 54.2% of people registered as Chae in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.