How Many People Are Named Chae?
An estimated 310 people in the United States have the first name Chae. It is used for both genders, with 54.2% female. The average bearer is 35 years old, and Chae peaked in popularity in 1988 with 31 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Chae as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Chae paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
310
About 1 in 1,105,659 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
54.2% confidence
Average Age
35
years old
Peak Year
1988
31 births
Total Registered
323
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Chae
Chae is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (45.8%) and females (54.2%). Out of 323 total births registered, 148 were male and 175 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)
Chae in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,785 people with the first name Chae, which placed it at #8,183 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Chae was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 1,785 people with this name in that snapshot, 42.5% were male and 57.5% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 54.2% of the time.
Census Count
1,785
people with this name
Census Rank
#8,183
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.59
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Chae was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Asian and Pacific Islander (77.15%). The next largest recorded groups were White (10.61%) and Black (7.02%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Chae in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Chae.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 77.15% | 1,374 |
| White | 10.61% | 189 |
| Black | 7.02% | 125 |
| Two or More Races | 3.31% | 59 |
| Hispanic | 1.68% | 30 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.22% | 4 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Chae: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Chae span from the 1970s to the 2000s, covering 4 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1990s, when 133 babies were registered. While Chae is less common than at its peak in the 1990s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Chae by Decade
How has Chae tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
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.
Names Similar to Chae
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
Chae: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chae?
We estimate approximately 310 people named Chae are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 1,105,659 Americans share this first name.
Is Chae a common name?
Chae is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 79.6% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 323 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Chae most popular?
Chae reached peak popularity in 1988, when 31 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Chae is approximately 35 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Chae in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 1,785 people with the first name Chae. That placed it at #8,183 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.59 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Chae was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Chae?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Chae was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 42.5% male and 57.5% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Chae?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Chae was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Asian and Pacific Islander (77.15%). The next largest recorded groups were White (10.61%) and Black (7.02%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Chae a female name?
Chae is predominantly female. 54.2% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Chae have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Chae peaked in 1988, and the average living bearer is about 35 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Chae Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Chae Smith, Chae Johnson, Chae Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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