Chayyim

'Chaim (Hebrew: חַיִּים Ḥayyīm), also transcribed as Haim, Hayim, Chayyim is a name of Hebrew/Jewish origin; its first usage can be traced to Middle Ages. It is a popular name amongst Jewish people.

"Chai" is the Hebrew word for "life". According to Kaballah, the name Hayim helps the person to remain healthy, people were known to add Hayim as their second name to improve their health. In the United States, Chaim is a common spelling; however, since it is not phonetic, Hayim is often used as an alternative spelling. The "ch" spelling comes from Yiddish as in Chanukah, Channa, etc., which can also be spelled as Hanukah and Hannah. It is cognate to the Arabic word حياة (ḥayāt), with the same meaning, deriving from the same Proto-Semitic root.

L'Chaim in Hebrew is a toast meaning "to life". When a couple becomes engaged, they get together with friends and family to celebrate. Since they drink l'chaim ("to life"), the celebration is also called a l'chaim.

Hebrew letters are also used as numerals, and the Hebrew letters that spell "chai" also stand for the number 18. Thus, 18 is considered a lucky number in Jewish culture. It is common to give gifts and contributions to charity in multiples of $18.

The given name may refer to:

This page or section lists people that share the same given name.
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