Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Chaim

Chaim is a Hebrew name, another version of Chayyim (sometimes rendered as Hyam). Used exclusively among Jewish people, Chaim is the Hebrew word for “life”. The “Ch” Hebrew consonant pronunciation is similar to that of Chanukah. Dating back to the Middle Ages, the names Hyam or Chaim were added to a person’s name during a period of serious illness as a prayer-like effort to restore health. In other words, Chaim was believed to promise health for the name bearer. Consider the familiar Hebrew toast “L’Chaim” (i.e., “to life!”) which is derived from the same place. The female version of Chaim is Chaya. Chaim is a moderately popular boy’s name among Jewish-Americans and is most famously borne by co-founding member of the rock band KISS, Gene Simmons. Simmons was born Chaim Weitz in Israel in 1949 (his mother was a Hungarian Holocaust survivor). Little Chaim moved to Queens, NYC with his mother at the age of eight and formed the band KISS in the early 1970s.

All About the Baby Name – Chaim

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME CHAIM

The number Seven personality is deeply mystical and highly in tune with their spirituality. They operate on a different wavelength than the average joe. Spending time alone comes easily to Sevens, as it gives them time to contemplate philosophical, religious and spiritual ideas in an effort to find "real truth".  Sevens are wise, but often exude mystery as if they are tapped into something the rest of us don't understand. They love the outdoors and are fed by nature. Sevens are constantly seeking to understand human nature, our place in the universe, and the mystery of life in general. This makes them quite artistic and poetic, but they are also keen observers with high intellect - so they are equally scientific-minded. Sevens are charitable and care deeply about the human condition.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME CHAIM

Chaim first came to “life” on the American male naming charts in 1959 but it wasn’t until 1987 that the name stuck to the charts with more consistent usage. And although Chaim has managed to maintain a position on the charts without interruption for almost 20 years now, it is still very uncommon in the United States. Jewish-Americans are pretty much the only folks using this Hebrew moniker on their baby boys, and since they only make up roughly 2% of the U.S. population, we don’t expect it to gain much more ground. Currently Chaim is the most commonly used rendering of this “life” giving name in the United States (rather than them more phonetic Hyam). In the name’s proper pronunciation, the “Ch” consonant is produced with a guttural sound made deep in the throat.

Quick Facts

ON CHAIM

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Hebrew

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

731

PRONUNCIATION:

kh'ah-YEEM

SIMPLE MEANING:

Life

Characteristics

OF CHAIM

Mystical

Wise

Eccentric

Intuitive

Imaginative

Philosophical

Solitary

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Chaim

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME CHAIM

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Chaim

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME CHAIM

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Chaim


Popular Songs

ON CHAIM

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Chaim


Famous People

NAMED CHAIM

Chaim Weitz (aka Gene Simmons of KISS)
Chaim Joseph David Azulai (rabbinical scholar)
Chaim Herzog (former President of Israel)
Chaim Potok (writer)
Chaim Soloveitchik (rabbinical scholar)
Chaim Soutine (Painter)
Chaim Weizmann (chemist and first President of Israel)

Children of Famous People

NAMED CHAIM

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Chaim

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME CHAIM

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Chaim