Discover and Shortlist Your Perfect Baby Names!

Ai as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Ai

♡Add to my Name List

The baby name Ai is a Female name , 1212 syllables long and is pronounced Japanese: /a.i/ (ah-ee; often realized like English "eye"); Mandarin: /aɪ˥˩/ (ài, falling tone); English: /aɪ/ (eye); Vietnamese: /aːi/ (Ái).

Ai is Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 1212.0
Origin: Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese
Pronunciation: Japanese: /a.i/ (ah-ee; often realized like English "eye"); Mandarin: /aɪ˥˩/ (ài, falling tone); English: /aɪ/ (eye); Vietnamese: /aːi/ (Ái)

What is the meaning of the name Ai ?

The baby name Ai is a Female name , 1212 syllables long and is pronounced Japanese: /a.i/ (ah-ee; often realized like English "eye"); Mandarin: /aɪ˥˩/ (ài, falling tone); English: /aɪ/ (eye); Vietnamese: /aːi/ (Ái).

Ai is Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese in Origin.

Ai is a concise, cross‑cultural name with several roots. In Japanese it is most commonly written as 愛 “love,” but can also be 藍 “indigo” or other kanji with different nuances; it is typically feminine there. In Chinese, Ai romanizes several characters, most prominently Ài 愛/爱 “love” (unisex), but also Āi 哀 “sorrow,” so meaning depends on the chosen character. Vietnamese Ái (from Sino‑Vietnamese 愛) means “affection; beloved,” used alone or in compounds and leaning feminine.

Use in Japan rose sharply from the 1970s onward and remains familiar through pop culture and sports figures. In Chinese communities, Ài appears both solo and in double‑character names (e.g., Àilíng), while in Cantonese it is pronounced “Oi.” Vietnamese examples include Ái Linh and Ngọc Ái. Related or elaborated forms include Japanese Aiko, Airi, and Aimi; Chinese Ai‑ling/Àilíng; and the Korean cognate Ae. A biblical place name Ai also exists, unrelated in meaning.

Ai has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Ai

Emperor Ai of Tang Royal · Born 892 · Tang dynasty Emperor Ai of Tang was the last emperor of China’s Tang dynasty, best known for ruling as a puppet emperor from 904 to 907. Born Li Zuo and later known as Li Chu, he is also referred to as Emperor Zhaoxuan of Tang. Ai Takahashi Actor · Born 1986 · Japan Ai Takahashi is a Japanese singer and actress best known for being a longtime lead vocalist in the idol group Morning Musume. She joined the group in 2001 as a 5th generation member and became one of its standout performers, appearing on well-known songs like Renai Revolution 21, The Peace!, and Love Machine. Ai Otsuka Actor · Born 1982 · Japan Ai Otsuka is a Japanese singer-songwriter best known for her 2003 hit "Sakuranbo." Born in Osaka in 1982, she became a popular artist on the Avex Trax label, and "Sakuranbo" stayed on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart for 103 weeks.
Ai Kago Actor · Born 1988 · Japan Ai Kago is best known as a former member of the idol group Morning Musume. She debuted in 2000 as part of the group's fourth generation and later became known for songs like Love Machine, Ren'ai Revolution 21, and The Peace!, while also working as a Japanese singer and actress. Ai Kayano Actor · Born 1987 · Japan Ai Kayano is a Japanese voice actress best known for anime roles like Menma in Anohana, Inori Yuzuriha in Guilty Crown, and Alice Zuberg in Sword Art Online: Alicization. Born on September 13, 1987, she was represented by the Pro-Fit talent agency until 2014. Ai Hashimoto Actor · Born 1996 · Japan Ai Hashimoto is a Japanese actress best known for her roles in films like Confessions, The Kirishima Thing, and Little Forest. Born on 12 January 1996, she has become a well-known presence in Japanese cinema.

Ai – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
FJ Boys 0 #17 1 603
MV 0 #19 1 644
JP Girls 0 #22 536 6,592
MV Girls 0 #24 12 2,021
BN 0 #27 6 2,297
JP 0 #29 50 4,057
EE 0 #37 1 1,051
ID 0 #37 3 2,238
BI Boys 0 #44 1 917
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
CM 0 #55 2 2,592
MV Boys 0 #74 6 3,375
PH 0 #74 23 5,607
AL 0 #75 2 2,372
AF 0 #76 1 1,883
BN Girls 0 #82 25 5,459
LT 0 #85 4 949
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
ID Girls 0 #86 13 3,319
KZ 0 #86 9 1,452
AF Girls 0 #93 2 2,402
TW 0 #100 4 4,523
QA 0 #102 5 7,011
GE Girls 0 #107 2 1,564
OM 0 #114 8 6,215
KW 0 #117 5 5,216
BN Boys 0 #124 10 6,332
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
AZ Boys 0 #130 2 1,400
ID Boys 0 #132 4 4,130
IQ 0 #133 1 3,533
GR 0 #135 1 3,911
JO 0 #140 1 2,158
EE Girls 0 #141 2 1,888
LT Boys 0 #143 9 2,166
KZ Girls 0 #162 230 5,862
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
MT Boys 0 #178 2 4,064
TW Girls 0 #179 102 8,139
AE 0 #182 6 10,220
AL Boys 0 #185 120 5,122
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
LT Girls 0 #198 3 1,904
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
SI Boys 0 #208 4 3,402
MO Boys 0 #211 13 5,842
SG 0 #212 58 11,010
AL Girls 0 #213 10 4,141
BD 0 #218 10 5,992
MY 0 #219 117 12,352
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
MO Girls 0 #221 31 7,056
TW Boys 0 #222 20 7,111
HU Girls 0 #224 2 3,308
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
IR 0 #230 2 4,221
NA Girls 0 #232 6 7,146
MY Girls 0 #236 1,436 24,821
QA Girls 0 #244 73 15,378
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
GR Girls 0 #248 2 6,293
AO Boys 0 #249 1 5,568
GR Boys 0 #249 19 6,912
NA Boys 0 #252 2 6,830
PH Girls 0 #255 137 13,098
KZ Boys 0 #268 22 6,578
NG 0 #270 3 5,926
AF Boys 0 #272 3 3,535
JM Girls 0 #278 1 7,507
Canada Girls 2018 #282 9 2,960
SG Girls 0 #283 351 18,916
SA 0 #284 12 10,560
HR Girls 0 #294 1 3,687
JP Boys 0 #298 6 7,909
OM Girls 0 #298 99 15,987
CN Boys 0 #299 21 9,639
CN Girls 0 #315 35 8,829
DK Girls 0 #323 7 7,429
PE 0 #329 1 6,350
DK Boys 0 #331 2 7,401
JO Girls 0 #334 6 7,570
MU Girls 0 #335 17 8,539
GH Girls 0 #336 2 6,973
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
SD Girls 0 #354 5 7,678
HK 0 #355 3 8,483
GH Boys 0 #358 4 8,138
PL Girls 0 #362 3 5,096
PH Boys 0 #366 18 11,440
YE 0 #370 12 8,639
BD Girls 0 #377 10 8,413
AE Girls 0 #379 175 20,968
Finland Girls 0 #381 11 1,368
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
BO 0 #407 2 6,868
EG 0 #407 6 6,387
France Girls 2011 #416 3 3,153
RU Girls 0 #425 74 11,913
Germany 0 #426 12 2,542
Spain 0 #433 20 2,326
MX 0 #442 4 8,339
SA Girls 0 #442 558 25,931
KW Girls 0 #444 72 19,177
BD Boys 0 #448 132 10,045
SD Boys 0 #460 7 10,523
PT Girls 0 #467 5 7,952
IQ Girls 0 #469 36 11,303
RU Boys 0 #480 26 12,621
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
HK Boys 0 #490 38 12,905
HK Girls 0 #492 124 16,104
GT Boys 0 #498 2 7,625
LY 0 #499 37 12,703
IR Girls 0 #501 30 8,334
PA Boys 0 #504 2 9,305
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
BH 0 #511 43 17,937
PA Girls 0 #514 5 9,861
PS Girls 0 #514 10 10,981
CM Girls 0 #517 24 11,671
IR Boys 0 #530 23 10,162
GT Girls 0 #541 1 7,500
CR Girls 0 #568 6 11,342
CM Boys 0 #571 5 12,054
TN 0 #572 285 13,765
IQ Boys 0 #607 61 13,071
IL Girls 0 #608 10 11,648
IN Girls 0 #619 13 13,121
BO Boys 0 #621 2 9,244
AR Girls 0 #625 6 8,289
IL Boys 0 #625 1 10,983
DZ 0 #638 642 20,130
SG Boys 0 #640 58 17,960
LB 0 #644 15 13,263
BO Girls 0 #649 3 9,488
MY Boys 0 #657 504 25,439
MA 0 #658 565 20,986
QA Boys 0 #691 17 18,093
CL Boys 0 #693 8 13,390
IT 0 #702 13 4,183
SY 0 #717 12 11,684
Finland Girls 2026 #722 17 3,895
KW Boys 0 #726 44 18,755
NG Girls 0 #752 35 15,093
BR Boys 0 #781 5 12,213
Germany Girls 0 #783 56 4,949
EG Boys 0 #799 88 15,035
EG Girls 0 #835 125 14,742
OM Boys 0 #837 45 17,948
CL Girls 0 #838 14 14,098
PE Boys 0 #866 13 14,506
United States Girls 2021 #911 10 8,741
Spain Boys 0 #911 20 5,610
NL Girls 0 #916 40 5,933
NG Boys 0 #922 30 16,906
NL Boys 0 #924 28 5,873
Spain Girls 0 #928 56 5,561
Germany Boys 0 #933 20 5,697
MX Boys 0 #972 11 16,355
CO Boys 0 #975 7 15,656
IN Boys 0 #985 17 16,750
BR Girls 0 #992 1 12,708
PE Girls 0 #1,006 5 14,861
AE Boys 0 #1,058 35 22,615
CO Girls 0 #1,069 10 16,140
MX Girls 0 #1,156 28 17,781
ZA Boys 0 #1,158 21 25,619
TR 0 #1,171 41 19,440
ZA Girls 0 #1,232 5 25,928
IT Boys 0 #1,299 173 10,046
IT Girls 0 #1,340 107 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,446 169 28,008

Ai is popular in 81 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
Canada
France
AE
AF

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Ai

Ai is predominantly a girl's name.
Ai is a 1212 syllable name, pronounced Japanese: /a.i/ (ah-ee; often realized like English "eye"); Mandarin: /aɪ˥˩/ (ài, falling tone); English: /aɪ/ (eye); Vietnamese: /aːi/ (Ái).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Ai, Ái, 愛 (kanji/hanzi), 爱 (simplified hanzi) and 藍 (alternative kanji sometimes read "Ai").
Across languages, Ai has these equivalents: Amy (English/French, "beloved"), Esme ("loved"/esteemed), Carys (Welsh, "love"), Priya (Sanskrit, "beloved"), Carina/Carina (Latin-based, "dear"), and 3 more.
Yes — Ai ranked #282 in Canada in 2018, and appears in official birth registries across 4 countries.
Ai ranks highest in Canada (#282 in 2018).
Ai's popularity is rising. It moved from #919 in 2011 to #911 in 2021 in United States.
Yes — 8 notable people named Ai are in our database, including Emperor Ai of Tang (Royal), Ai Takahashi (Actor), Ai Otsuka (Actor).