Chaim is a distinctive choice, ranked #976 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Chaim in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#976
US Rank #666
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About the Name Chaim
Chaim has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 185 places in five years. It was most popular in 1996 at #704 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Chaim is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Chaim in their class.
In the US it ranks even higher at #694, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Chaim Noll — Chaim Noll is a German-Israeli writer and former journalist.
Chaim Tchernowitz — Chaim Tchernowitz, also known by his pen name Rav Tzair, was a Russian-American rabbi, author, teacher, and publicist.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Chaim
Unlikely. With around 31 UK babies named Chaim per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Chaim in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Chaim is declining: down 180 places since 2020, to #976 in 2025. It peaked at #704 in 1996.
Chaim is more popular in the US (#694) than in the UK (#981). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Chaim include: Chaim Hames and Chaim Noll. Short summaries for each appear below.
Chaim ranks #694 in the US top 1,000 (2024). It's recognised in America but considerably more popular in the UK.
31
UK babies named Chaim (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 180 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Chaim
Almost certainly the only Chaim in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Chaim
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Chaim Halberstam of Sanz (Hebrew: חיים הלברשטאם מצאנז), known as the Divrei Chaim after the title of his writings, was the rabbi of Sanz (Polish: Nowy Sącz), and the founding rebbe of the Sanz dynasty of Hasidic Judaism.
Chaim Azriel Weizmann was a Russian-born Israeli statesman, biochemist, and Zionist leader who served as president of the Zionist Organization and later as the first president of Israel.
Chaim (Halevi) Soloveitchik (Yiddish: חיים סאָלאָווייטשיק, Polish: Chaim Sołowiejczyk), also known as Chaim Brisker, was a rabbi and Talmudic scholar credited as the founder of the Brisker method of Talmudic study within Judaism.