שמאי
The meaning of Shammai is uncertain
The meaning of Shammai is uncertain; perhaps a short form of Shemaya.
Shammai is a boy's name of Biblical origin.
Shammai, Hillel's contemporary, founded one of the two great schools of Second Temple sages.
- In Hebrew
- שמאי
- In English letters
- Shammai
- Other English spellings
- Shamai
- Meaning
- Uncertain; perhaps a short form of Shemaya
- Origin
- Biblical
- Given to
- Boys
- Themes
- From the Bible
- Gematria value
- 351
270 Jewish Israelis born since 1949 carry the name Shammai.
- 270 of them are men and boys, and fewer than 5 are women and girls.
- There are too few carriers for a chart by year of birth.
This is how Shammai is counted in each population group.
These are the people born 1949 to 2024 who carry the spelling שמאי today, in each population group and sex the register lists for it. The rank counts the names given in 2024, and 1 is the most given. A count under 5 is not published, so the table says “fewer than 5”, and 0 means nobody.
| Population group | Carriers | Born in 2024 | Rank in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jewish boys | 270 | fewer than 5 | – |
Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics table of current first names of people born 1949 to 2024, by sex and population group (release 391/2025 of 8 December 2025, read on 2 November 2026). Groups and sexes with no row for this spelling are left out.
These six names are close to Shammai in theme or origin.
These are the questions people ask about the name Shammai.
What does the name Shammai mean?
The meaning of Shammai is uncertain; perhaps a short form of Shemaya. Shammai is a boy's name of Biblical origin. Shammai, Hillel's contemporary, founded one of the two great schools of Second Temple sages.
Is Shammai a boy's name or a girl's name?
Shammai is mainly a boy's name. Of the 270 Jewish Israelis born since 1949 who carry it, 270 are men and boys and fewer than 5 are women and girls.
How do you write Shammai in Hebrew?
Shammai is written שמאי in Hebrew.
How many people in Israel are named Shammai?
270 Jewish Israelis born 1949 to 2024 carry Shammai today.
Counts are Jewish Israelis born 1949 to 2024 who carry the name today, from the Central Bureau of Statistics register of April 2025. Meanings follow the standard etymologies of Hebrew name references, and where nobody can be sure the page says so.