Fun Facts About the Name Vai
- 10 babies named Vai: U.S. records list 10 babies given the name Vai from 1880 through 2025. The totals are evenly split between boys and girls.
What Does the Name Vai Mean?
Vai is a Polynesian name meaning water. It is the ordinary word for water in several Polynesian languages, including Samoan, Tongan, Tahitian, and Cook Islands Māori. The name is a direct use of that noun rather than a shortened form of a longer personal name, so the meaning is literal. In Māori and Hawaiian, the same ancestral word appears as wai; the form Vai belongs to Polynesian languages that preserve an initial v-. Because the spelling also occurs in unrelated names and words, not every Vai should be assumed to have this derivation.
Vai Name History & Origins
The form Vai reflects a regular Polynesian development from Proto-Polynesian *wai. Languages that changed the ancestral w- to v-, such as Samoan and Tongan, have vai; Māori and Hawaiian preserve wai. Vai has been used as a personal name in Polynesian communities, where ordinary words can serve as names. It is difficult to identify a single community or period as the starting point of that use. A modern literary appearance is the 2019 anthology film Vai, which follows eight women named Vai in different Pacific communities; the film is not evidence of the name's earliest use.
How Popular is the Name Vai?
Vai 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 2012. Its best rank was #14,101 in 2012.
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 | #17,094 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | #14,101 | 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.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with V
Unique Short Boy Names That Start with V
How the Name Vai Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are fixed in your opinions, firm in your friendships and square in your dealings with others. You are an excellent worker. Since you are both possessive and emotional, you can be either very practical or very impractical and unpredictable. Your dual nature needs to become steadfast. You are the marrying kind. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Vai's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Vai's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.