Every Boy Name

Boy's name

Kai

Say it KY 1 syllable

Danish · “sea (Hawaiian); or warrior (Frisian)”

Common across the UK, the Netherlands, Ontario, and 10 more places. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 11 more places.

1 in 169 boys born in Ireland in 2025. Number 34 there.

Kai in every place

Rank, count and share in all 40 places: loved in 0, common in 15, rare in 14.
Kai in every place we hold figures for
Place Rankyear Boysshare 5 years earlier
British Isles
England and Wales78 (up)20256721 in 4051032020
Scotland40 (up)20251011 in 194582020
Northern Ireland44 (up)2025431 in 193642020
Ireland34 (up)20251401 in 169582020
North America
Ontario (province)38 (up)2024234about 1 in 256812019
Quebec (province)167 (up)202535about 1 in 8302542020
British Columbia (province)19 (up)202385about 1 in 153352018
Nova Scotia (province)Not in the published top 212025Not listed2020
Oceania
New South Wales (state)23 (up)2025206502020
Victoria (state)32 (up)2025177602020
Queensland (state)25 (up)2025149452020
South Australia (state)31 (up)202544742020
New ZealandNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Western Europe
France998 (up)2025601 in 5,0453,1962020
Netherlands39 (up)2025290about 1 in 229812020
Central Europe
Austria305 (down)2025181 in 2,1153042020
Switzerland184 (up)2025441 in 8182072020
Berlin (city)467 (down)20236about 1 in 2,5852642018
Munich (city)91 (up)202513about 1 in 3362592020
Cologne (city)418 (down)20232about 1 in 3,1893452018
Bonn (city)397 (down)20251about 1 in 3,1702422020
Leipzig (city)Rare: below the complete list20252832020
Rostock (city)Rare: below the complete list20252122020
Nordic countries
Norway274 (up)2025141 in 1,6633612020
Sweden228 (up)202538about 1 in 1,1355612020
DenmarkNot in the published top 502025Not listed2020
FinlandNot in the published top 502025No list2020
IcelandNot in the published top 102025No list2020
Southern Europe
Spain91 (new in the list)2024330Not listed2019
Catalonia (region)26 (up)20251631 in 127342020
Italy495 (new in the list)2024211 in 9,017Not listed2019
Central and Eastern Europe
Poland195 (up)2025401 in 3,1602142020
HungaryNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Slovenia75 (up)202527about 1 in 2681782020
EstoniaNot in the published top 272025Not listed2020
Moscow (city)Not in the published top 612025Not listed2020
CroatiaNot in the published top 502025No list2020
Middle East
TurkeyNot in the published top 302025Not listed2020
Israel (published as קאי)231 (up)202469about 1 in 1,2332962019
Latin America
ArgentinaNot in the published top 202024Not listed2019

Germany publishes no national list; the German rows are city registers. Israel publishes names in Hebrew script; the original is shown beside the name. About: the publisher leaves out its smallest names, so the share is approximate. ▲ and ▼ compare the rank with five years earlier. Not listed five years earlier: not in that year’s list. No list: the place published no list that year. How these figures are computed.

About the name

Kai has more than one root, and families tend to choose the reading that suits them. In the Hawaiian explanation, often heard in the United States, it means "sea". In the European line, the Danish Kaj may go back to the Latin Caius, while the German Kai may be a West Frisian pet form of names such as Gerard, Cornelius or Nicholas, or of Kampe, "warrior".

2 more paragraphs

It is a single syllable, KY, about as short as a boy's name gets. Kaj and Kay are related forms, and Kaï is another spelling.

Kai is popular across a wide spread of places, ranking well in British Columbia, New South Wales, Queensland, Catalonia and the Netherlands, and it has been in regular use since the 1990s. It is rising in most of the countries where it is used, and in Canada it peaked in 2022.

Meaning, origin and how to say it

Say it
KY · 1 syllable
Meaning
“sea (Hawaiian); or warrior (Frisian)”
Origin
Danish, Latin, West Frisian, and Hawaiian
Spellings counted
Counted together with Kai here: Kaï.
Related names
Gerard, Kaj, Kay
Where Kai comes from (Wiktionary)

In regular use since the 1990s. Danish Kaj is possibly of Roman origin (Latin Caius). German Kai may be a West Frisian pet form of Gerard, Cornelius, Nicholas or Kampe "warrior". In the US also explained as Hawaiian kai "sea".

Shortened from the Wiktionary entry for Kai. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Kai over time

Rising in 17 of the 23 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 1. Peak in Ontario and British Columbia: 2022.

Rank in England and Wales, 1996 to 2025

Kai in England and Wales: #161 in 1996, a peak of #56 in 2003, and #78 in 2025.

#1#10#50#100#300200020052010201520202025Top 101996: #161, 212 boys1997: #112, 397 boys1998: #100, 528 boys1999: #89, 584 boys2000: #73, 723 boys2001: #64, 922 boys2002: #59, 1,037 boys2003: #56, 1,119 boys2004: #62, 1,044 boys2005: #66, 1,024 boys2006: #63, 1,213 boys2007: #62, 1,198 boys2008: #68, 1,057 boys2009: #68, 1,012 boys2010: #56, 1,308 boys2011: #56, 1,211 boys2012: #63, 1,075 boys2013: #64, 1,002 boys2014: #77, 858 boys2015: #86, 775 boys2016: #87, 794 boys2017: #93, 691 boys2018: #100, 634 boys2019: #109, 569 boys2020: #103, 579 boys2021: #91, 639 boys2022: #72, 799 boys2023: #74, 693 boys2024: #72, 735 boys2025: #78, 672 boys#161 in 1996peak #56, 2003#78in 2025
Show the numbers
YearRankBoys
1996161212
1997112397
1998100528
199989584
200073723
200164922
2002591,037
2003561,119
2004621,044
2005661,024
2006631,213
2007621,198
2008681,057
2009681,012
2010561,308
2011561,211
2012631,075
2013641,002
201477858
201586775
201687794
201793691
2018100634
2019109569
2020103579
202191639
202272799
202374693
202472735
202578672

Source: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3)

The long view: in Ontario and British Columbia

Half of the boys named Kai in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 2014. Peak: 2022, about 433 per 100,000 boys. Babies per 100,000 boys, five-year periods.

1925-1929: 0 per 100,000 boys1930-1934: 0 per 100,000 boys1935-1939: 0 per 100,000 boys1940-1944: 0 per 100,000 boys19401945-1949: 0 per 100,000 boys1950-1954: 0 per 100,000 boys1955-1959: 0 per 100,000 boys1960-1964: 0 per 100,000 boys19601965-1969: 1.8 per 100,000 boys1970-1974: 3.1 per 100,000 boys1975-1979: 1.9 per 100,000 boys1980-1984: 8.3 per 100,000 boys19801985-1989: 14 per 100,000 boys1990-1994: 28.7 per 100,000 boys1995-1999: 45.6 per 100,000 boys2000-2004: 124.1 per 100,000 boys20002005-2009: 207.9 per 100,000 boys2010-2014: 248.6 per 100,000 boys2015-2019: 294.1 per 100,000 boys2020-2024: 399.1 per 100,000 boys20202020-2024: about 1 in 251 boys
Show the numbers
YearsPer 100,000 boys
1925–19290
1930–19340
1935–19390
1940–19440
1945–19490
1950–19540
1955–19590
1960–19640
1965–19691.8
1970–19743.1
1975–19791.9
1980–19848.3
1985–198914
1990–199428.7
1995–199945.6
2000–2004124.1
2005–2009207.9
2010–2014248.6
2015–2019294.1
2020–2024399.1

Source: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (OGL-Ontario); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (OGL-BC). Dark bar: the period holding the median birth year.

Brothers and middle names for Kai

Brother names

Names that rose and fell with Kai, from the same generation, with no clashing sounds.

  1. 1 in 252, England and Wales

  2. 1 in 128, Ireland

  3. 1 in 1,105, England and Wales

  4. 1 in 614, Scotland

  5. 1 in 197, England and Wales

  6. 1 in 164, England and Wales

  7. 1 in 196, Scotland

  8. 1 in 202, Northern Ireland

  9. 1 in 29, Italy

  10. 1 in 153, Northern Ireland

All 40 brother names for Kai

Middle names

Scored for rhythm against Kai's 1 syllable and for long, steady use.

  1. 1 in 187, England and Wales

  2. 1 in 103, England and Wales

  3. 1 in 118, England and Wales

  4. 1 in 105, Ireland

  5. 1 in 67, England and Wales

  6. 1 in 62, Poland

  7. 1 in 136, Northern Ireland

  8. 1 in 86, England and Wales

Full-name check

Kai William

Syllables 1-2Initials K.W.No sound clashes between the parts.

All 40 middle names for Kai

Sisters for Kai: Aurora, Maya, Emilia, and 5 more
  1. AuroraRose and fell with Kai · Same generation as Kai
  2. MayaRose and fell with Kai · Same generation as Kai
  3. EmiliaRose and fell with Kai · Latin, like Kai
  4. SiennaRose and fell with Kai · Same generation as Kai
  5. MatildaRose and fell with Kai · Same generation as Kai
  6. IvyRose and fell with Kai · Same generation as Kai
  7. LaylaRose and fell with Kai · Same generation as Kai
  8. PhoebeRose and fell with Kai · Same generation as Kai

Girls' names from the same engine, over the girls' lists of the same publishers.

Moved with Kai

The boy names whose popularity rose and fell most like Kai's across every region and decade we hold.

  1. Common across three Canadian provinces, Israel, Sweden, and 10 more places.

  2. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 15 more places.

  3. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 9 more places.

  4. Loved across the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and 7 more places.

  5. Loved across France, the UK, Canada, and 19 more places.

  6. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 16 more places.

  7. Common across the UK, Austria, Switzerland, and 12 more places.

  8. Common across France, the UK, Italy, and 17 more places.

Famous people named Kai

Kai Siegbahn, Kai Havertz, and 6 more
  • Kai Siegbahn 1918 to 2007

    Swedish physicist

  • Kai Havertz born 1999

    German association football player

  • Kai Hansen born 1963

    German guitarist and singer

  • Kai Wegner born 1972

    German politician

  • Kai Cenat born 2001

    American internet personality and online streamer

  • Kai Shibato born 1995

    Japanese association football player

  • Kai Winding 1922 to 1983

    Danish-born American jazz composer and trombonist

  • Kai Häfner born 1989

    German handball player

From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions have an article on them. People: Wikidata (CC0). Links go to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists, else English.

Questions about Kai

How popular is Kai in British Columbia?

Kai ranked #19 in British Columbia in 2023, given to 85 boys, about 1 in 153.

Is Kai rising in popularity?

Yes, in most of the places we can check. Rising in 17 of the 23 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 1. Rising in: South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Ireland, and 12 other regions.

What does Kai mean?

Kai means “sea (Hawaiian); or warrior (Frisian)”, according to Wiktionary.

How many syllables does Kai have?

Kai has 1 syllable: KY.

Every rank and count on this page comes from an official birth register. How these figures are computed.

Meanings, origins and people: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikidata (CC0).

The 42 birth registers behind these figures

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