Jacai
An invented name interpreted as meaning "handsome warrior" or "brave one".
Name Census estimates that about 158 living Americans carry the first name Jacai. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jacai today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jacai births was 2012 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jacai. 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
158
~ 1 in 2,169,331 Americans
Peak year
2012
14 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,271
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Jacai: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jacai from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 96 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Jacai remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jacai 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 Jacai during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jacais live
Origin
Meaning and history of Jacai
The given name Jacai is believed to have its origins in the indigenous languages of South America, particularly in the Tupi-Guarani language family. This family of languages is spoken by various ethnic groups in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Bolivia.
The name Jacai is thought to be derived from the Tupi word "jaca'i," which means "moon" or "lunar." In many indigenous cultures, the moon held significant symbolic and spiritual importance, often associated with fertility, femininity, and the cycles of nature.
While the exact etymology and historical references are difficult to trace due to the oral traditions of these cultures, some linguists believe the name may have been mentioned in ancient mythological stories or legends passed down through generations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jacai can be found in the accounts of European explorers and missionaries who encountered the indigenous tribes of South America during the 16th and 17th centuries. These written records provide glimpses into the names and cultures of the time.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who have borne the name Jacai:
1. Jacai Pataxó (c. 1920 - 2008) was a Brazilian indigenous leader and activist from the Pataxó tribe. He played a crucial role in advocating for the rights and preservation of the Pataxó culture and language.
2. Jacai Tupinambá (fl. 17th century) was a chief of the Tupinambá people, who lived in the coastal regions of present-day Brazil during the time of Portuguese colonization. He is mentioned in historical accounts for his interactions with European settlers and missionaries.
3. Jacai Guarani (c. 1850 - 1920) was a renowned medicine man and spiritual leader among the Guarani people of Paraguay. He was known for his extensive knowledge of traditional healing practices and his efforts to preserve the cultural traditions of his people.
4. Jacai Tupã (fl. 16th century) was a prominent warrior and leader of the Tupã tribe, which inhabited the region around the Paraná River in South America. He is mentioned in historical chronicles for his resistance against the Portuguese colonizers.
5. Jacai Mbya (c. 1890 - 1960) was a respected elder and storyteller from the Mbya Guarani community in Argentina. He was renowned for his knowledge of traditional myths, legends, and oral histories, which he passed down to younger generations.
While the name Jacai may not be as widely recognized today, it holds a rich cultural heritage and connection to the indigenous peoples of South America, reflecting their reverence for the moon and its symbolic significance in their cosmologies and traditions.
People
Jacai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jacai as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jacai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jacai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 158 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jacai 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 2,169,331 US residents.
Is Jacai a common name?
We classify Jacai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 159 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jacai most popular?
The single biggest year for Jacai was 2012, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jacai is about 10 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 Jacai in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jacai a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jacai 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 Jacai still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jacai 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 Jacai 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 common is the name Jacai?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.