Discover and Shortlist Your Perfect Baby Names!

Chaim as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Chaim

Add to my Name List

The baby name Chaim is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced Hebrew: [χaˈjim] (khah-YEEM); common English: /haɪm/ (HIME) or /ˈhaɪ.əm/ (HY-um).

Chaim is Hebrew in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: Hebrew: [χaˈjim] (khah-YEEM); common English: /haɪm/ (HIME) or /ˈhaɪ.əm/ (HY-um)

What is the meaning of the name Chaim ?

The baby name Chaim is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced Hebrew: [χaˈjim] (khah-YEEM); common English: /haɪm/ (HIME) or /ˈhaɪ.əm/ (HY-um).

Chaim is Hebrew in Origin.

Chaim is a Hebrew given name from חַיִּים (Ḥayyim), literally “life.” Pronounced KHAH-yeem (with a guttural kh), it reflects a central Jewish value and appears in blessings such as l’chaim, “to life.” The spelling with ch follows Ashkenazic/Yiddish transliteration; modern Israeli Hebrew often renders it as Haim or Hayim.

Documented since Talmudic times, the name spread across both Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities and has remained popular in religious circles and in Israel. It is associated with notable figures like Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, kabbalist Chaim Vital, and poet Chaim Nachman Bialik. Variants and transliterations include Ḥayyim, Hayyim, Haim, Chayim, and Khaim; Anglicized forms such as Hyam and Hyman also occur. Common pairings create double names (e.g., Chaim Yosef), and affectionate diminutives include Chaimke. The feminine counterpart is Chaya, sharing the same life-affirming root.

Chaim has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Chaim

Chaim Weizmann Politician · Born 1874 · United Kingdom Chaim Weizmann was best known as the first president of Israel and a major Zionist leader. Born in Russia, he was also a biochemist and served as president of the Zionist Organization before being elected Israel’s first president in 1949, a role he held until his death in 1952. Chaim Herzog Politician · Born 1918 · Israel Chaim Herzog was best known as the sixth President of Israel, serving from 1983 to 1993. Born in Belfast in 1918 and raised mainly in Dublin, he was the son of Ireland’s Chief Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog and later became an Israeli politician, military officer, lawyer, and author after moving to Mandatory Palestine in 1935. Chaim Topol Actor · Born 1935 · Israel Chaim Topol was an Israeli actor and singer best known for playing Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Often known simply as Topol, he became internationally famous for that role on stage and in the film version.

Chaim – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
PH 0 #110 1 5,607
Switzerland Boys 2024 #133 5 1,769
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
PS 0 #192 27 5,692
IL 0 #200 76 6,291
MO Boys 0 #234 1 5,842
IL Boys 0 #250 525 10,983
TW Boys 0 #256 1 7,111
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
Canada Boys 2024 #296 11 2,588
PS Boys 0 #327 253 10,655
CN Boys 0 #331 1 9,639
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
France Boys 2018 #387 3 2,908
PH Boys 0 #408 1 11,440
ZA 0 #473 2 14,421
PA Boys 0 #505 1 9,305
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
RU Boys 0 #526 1 12,621
PS Girls 0 #546 2 10,981
United States Boys 2024 #548 388 7,044
BD Boys 0 #604 2 10,045
IL Girls 0 #645 1 11,648
SG Boys 0 #737 3 17,960
KW Boys 0 #806 1 18,755
NG Girls 0 #826 1 15,093
TN 0 #859 7 13,765
NL Boys 0 #919 33 5,873
PE Boys 0 #925 2 14,506
NL Girls 0 #936 20 5,933
MA 0 #962 167 20,986
SA Girls 0 #1,014 1 25,931
MX Boys 0 #1,031 3 16,355
DZ 0 #1,157 20 20,130
ZA Boys 0 #1,169 10 25,619
MY Boys 0 #1,175 8 25,439
TR 0 #1,254 1 19,440
SA Boys 0 #1,686 6 28,008

Chaim is popular in 31 countries — most recent births per country:

Canada
United States
Switzerland
France
New York City (White, non-Hispanic), United States

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

People also ask about Chaim

Chaim is predominantly a boy's name.
Chaim is a 2 syllable name, pronounced Hebrew: [χaˈjim] (khah-YEEM); common English: /haɪm/ (HIME) or /ˈhaɪ.əm/ (HY-um).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Chayim, Chayyim, Chajim, Haim, Hayim and Chaimel (diminutive).
Across languages, Chaim has these equivalents: Chaya (Hebrew, feminine 'life'), Zoe (Greek, 'life'), Vita/Vito (Latin, 'life'), Hayat/Hayy (Arabic, 'life'), Vivian/Viv (from Latin 'living').
Yes — Chaim ranked #133 in Switzerland in 2024, and appears in official birth registries across 5 countries.
Chaim ranks highest in Switzerland (#133 in 2024).
Chaim's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #320 in 2014 to #296 in 2024 in Canada.
Yes — 3 notable people named Chaim are in our database, including Chaim Weizmann (Politician), Chaim Herzog (Politician), Chaim Topol (Actor).