Tai is a short name with several sources: in Chinese it is written with the character for "great" or supreme, in Vietnamese it means "talent" or prosperity, and in English-speaking families it is often simply a short form of Tyrone or Tyler. The surfer-style sound has made it attractive beyond Asian American families. In the United States Tai ranked number 1288 in 2000, peaked at number 1154 in 2003 and stands at number 2536 in 2025.