Trai
A name of Vietnamese origin meaning "youth" or "young man".
Name Census estimates that about 272 living Americans carry the first name Trai. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Trai today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Trai births was 1993 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Trai. 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
272
~ 1 in 1,260,126 Americans
Peak year
1993
27 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2021 SSA rank
#10,693
Tracked since 1986
Popularity
Trai: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Trai from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 158 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Trai 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 Trai 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 Trai
The name Trai finds its origins in the Vietnamese language and culture. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period in Vietnam, around the 10th to 15th centuries. The name is derived from the ancient Vietnamese word "trai," which means "left" or "leftward." In ancient Vietnamese culture, the concepts of left and right held significant symbolic meanings, often associated with balance, direction, and harmony.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Trai can be found in the Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu, a historical text dating back to the 15th century. This ancient chronicle documented the lives and reigns of Vietnamese rulers and nobles, some of whom bore the name Trai. However, precise details about the individuals and their significance are scarce due to the passage of time.
Throughout Vietnamese history, several notable figures have carried the name Trai. One such individual was Trai Nguyen, a renowned Vietnamese poet and philosopher who lived during the 16th century. His works, which explored themes of Confucianism and Buddhism, had a profound impact on Vietnamese literature and thought.
Another historical figure of note was Trai Tran, a military commander who played a pivotal role in the Tran Dynasty's resistance against the Mongol invasions in the 13th century. His strategic leadership and bravery during the battles against the Mongol forces earned him a place in Vietnamese history as a national hero.
In the realm of art and culture, Trai Nguyen Dinh, a celebrated Vietnamese painter and calligrapher of the 18th century, left a lasting legacy with his intricate and masterful works. His paintings and calligraphic pieces are highly regarded and showcased in various museums and galleries around the world.
Moving forward in time, Trai Pham Van Dong, a prominent Vietnamese politician and diplomat, played a significant role in the country's independence movement and later served as the Prime Minister of North Vietnam from 1955 to 1976. His contributions to Vietnam's reunification and the establishment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are widely recognized.
It is worth noting that while the name Trai has been borne by numerous individuals throughout Vietnamese history, its usage and popularity have fluctuated over time, reflecting the ever-changing cultural and societal trends. Nevertheless, the name remains deeply rooted in Vietnamese heritage and continues to hold symbolic significance in the country's cultural tapestry.
People
Trai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Trai as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Trai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Trai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 272 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Trai 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 1,260,126 US residents.
Is Trai a common name?
We classify Trai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 277 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Trai most popular?
The single biggest year for Trai was 1993, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Trai is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Trai a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Trai 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.
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.