Fun Facts About the Name Amai
- 249 babies named Amai: U.S. records list 249 babies given the name Amai from 1880 through 2025. Even 63 boys received the name Amai - about 1 boy for every 3 girls.
What Does the Name Amai Mean?
Amai is a Shona word meaning "mother." Shona is a Bantu language spoken mainly in Zimbabwe. In Shona, amai - along with the shorter form mai - is the ordinary noun for a mother, and it is also used as a respectful way of addressing an older woman.
The form follows a common Bantu pattern in which words for "mother" are built on ma- sounds, as in Swahili mama and Zulu umama, but amai is the Shona form itself and is not borrowed from those languages. Japanese has an unrelated word amai (甘い) meaning "sweet"; it is an adjective, not a standard element of Japanese given names.
Amai Name History & Origins
Amai is an everyday Shona noun, so its background is the background of the word rather than of a name coined for a particular person or story. Shona speakers use it to mean "mother," and they also use it as a courtesy title for an older woman, much as English speakers can call a respected older woman "Mother." The same word serves as a personal name and a respectful form of address in Zimbabwe and among Shona-speaking families.
Japanese amai (甘い), meaning "sweet," is a separate word that happens to be spelled the same way in the Latin alphabet. It is an adjective rather than a common name element and belongs to Japanese vocabulary, while the Shona noun belongs to Bantu vocabulary.
How Popular is the Name Amai?
Amai has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2024. Its best rank was #3,153 in 2024.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,914 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2024 | #7,588 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 2023 | #7,661 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 2022 | #6,726 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2021 | #6,976 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 2020 | #7,232 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2019 | #5,997 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2018 | #8,184 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #7,468 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2016 | #16,399 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #10,937 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #16,687 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #12,278 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #15,517 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #17,802 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #17,333 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #14,616 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,870 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2024 | #3,153 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 2021 | #12,236 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #12,129 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Amai Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Amai's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Amai's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.