Wai
Meaning
greatness (偉) for men, wisdom (慧) for women; the single most common syllable of the 60s-80s Hong Kong generations, opening Wai-Man, Wai-Kit and Wai-Yin in this collection
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Wai has stayed rare in US records the whole time: no peak decade to name.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
40 people · the #77,494 first name in Brazil · median age 49
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Wai
Most people given the name Wai in the United States were born between 1970 and 1989. The Wai you meet today is most often in their 30s or 40s.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Wai deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Wai truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Wai fits with your family’s names and surname.
Keep exploring
Cantonese and Hong Kong baby names · Short names · Gender-neutral names
Does Wai fit YOUR family?
nametree reads your family’s names and finds the ones that belong. Free, private, no ads.
Add Wai to your family’s tree →