Kai
Kai has multiple origins: in Hawaiian it means 'sea,' in Japanese it can mean 'ocean' or 'shell,' and in Scandinavian languages it derives from the name Kai or Cai. This short, powerful name has been used across diverse cultures for centuries.
Current Popularity
Popularity over time
Dashed bar: 2026 (projected): 3,512. How this is calculated
Yearly values
- 2011: 1,790
- 2012: 1,938
- 2013: 1,983
- 2014: 2,411
- 2015: 2,852
- 2016: 2,895
- 2017: 3,158
- 2018: 3,463
- 2019: 3,744
- 2020: 3,867
- 2021: 4,641
- 2022: 5,374
- 2023: 4,976
- 2024: 4,301
- 2025: 3,768
- 2026 (projected): 3,512
Good to Know
- •Extremely easy to spell and pronounce in most languages
- •Works well in multicultural families due to its presence in many cultures
- •Short and powerful - no nickname typically needed
- •Pronunciation is straightforward: rhymes with 'sky'
Similar Names
Famous People
Kai Greene
Professional bodybuilder and actor
Kai Havertz
German professional footballer
Kai Ryssdal
American radio journalist and host
Kai Lennox
American actor
Statistics
70,232
Total births since 1880
2022
Peak year
Discovery
Keep browsing
Rising now
Browse trending names
Names that climbed the most between 2020 and 2025.
Always popular
Explore timeless classics
Names that have sat in the top 50 for decades.
For this gender
See all-time favorites
The most common names since 1880, by total births.
Stories
Read famous-name profiles
How well-known people changed the names they carried.
Guides
Browse recent articles
Recent articles on naming trends.