The origin of the name Thais is Greek, derived from the adjective 'Thaísios', which means 'of Asia'. It was originally a byname given to women from Asia Minor who moved to Greece. The name gained prominence through its association with Thais, a character in the play 'Pompey' written by the ancient Roman playwright Plautus.
The name Thais experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the past century, with the number of annual births ranging from a low of 5 to a high of 84. The name first peaked in popularity during the late 1940s and early 1950s, with around 20 births per year. It then declined until the mid-1970s when it began to rise again, reaching another peak in the late 1990s with over 60 births per year. After a brief decline at the turn of the century, Thais regained popularity and has remained relatively stable since around 2014, with annual births ranging between 16 and 36. Overall, there have been a total of 2165 births named Thais between 1909 and 2023.