The surnames Chajes (Ashkenazic Hebrew), Chayes, Hayyot, Hayyut, and Hiyyut are written in Hebrew characters as Hebrew: חיות.^{[citation needed]} The family name originated in the Jewish community of sixteenth-century Prague, one of many such matronymic names adopted by the community in the period.^[1] It means "Chaya's [child/children]." The use of the Hebrew, rather than a Yiddish spelling, thus produced a double entendre seemingly intended to suggest "vitality".

Hebrew: חיוֹת means animals; Hebrew: חיוּת means vitality.

• Abram Chayes (1922–2000), American scholar of international law
• Benno Chajes (1880–1938), German physician and politician
• Rabbi Isaac Hayyut (died 1726), Polish rabbi
• Jennifer Tour Chayes (born 1956), mathematical physicist and managing director of Microsoft Research New England
• Rabbi Menahem Manesh Hayyut (died 1636), Polish rabbi
• Oscar Chajes (1973–1928), Austrian-American chess player
• Sarah Chayes (born 1962), American journalist
• Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Chajes (1805–1855), Galician rabbi
• Rabbi Zwi Perez Chajes (1876–1927), Austrian rabbi
• J. H. Chajes (born 1965), Israeli-American professor of Jewish thought

• Chai (symbol)
• Chayyim (Haim) (pl.)
• Chayyey (Hebrew: חַיֵּי); e.g. Chayei Sarah
• Surnamed people Chaitin, (Galith) Chayyat', Chayat are from Chayyat' / Khayat / Chait, a tailor (cf.Schneider/Shreyder)^{[citation needed]}