Kai
Featured in baby name books
Kai is most often linked to Hawaiian “sea,” and is rising, especially for boys. Kai is also Japanese for “forgiveness.” Other books trace Kai to Welsh, Greek, or Scandinavian roots with the meaning “keeper of the keys,” while Unusual calls it German for “safe harbour.” Kai is easy and nickname-free, chosen by stars like Jennifer Connelly and Naomi Watts; Wayne Rooney also has a son named Kai.
Sources: Baby Names (Laura Emerson), Baby Names Made Easy, Baby Names Your Child Can Live With, The Everything Baby Names Book, The Best Baby Names for Boys, 1,107 Baby Names That Stand the Test of Time, 10,000 Baby Names, Numerology for Baby Names, Unusual Baby Names
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Usage of Kai in different languages / cultures
The list below was created by gathering names from various sources for different languages, and then matching Kai against each list of names.
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Albanian
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Arabic
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Armenian
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Bengali
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Bulgarian
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Catalan
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Chinese
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Cornish
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Croatian
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Czech
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Danish
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Dothraki
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Dutch
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English
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Estonian
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Filipino
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Finnish
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French
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Georgian
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German
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Greek
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Hawaiian
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Hebrew
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Hindi
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Hungarian
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Icelandic
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Indonesian
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Irish
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Italian
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Japanese
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Khmer
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Klingon
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Korean
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Latin
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Latvian
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Lithuanian
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Macedonian
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Norwegian
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Persian
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Polish
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Portuguese
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Romanian
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Russian
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Scottish
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Serbian
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Slovak
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Slovenian
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Spanish
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Swahili
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Swedish
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Telugu
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Thai
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Turkish
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Ukrainian
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Vietnamese
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Welsh
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Yiddish
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Yoruba
Note: In some cases it is possible for the check mark to be missing even if Kai is used in a particular country, as almost no source name list has 100% coverage.
Kai in official name statistics
United States
In 2025, 3,768 boys were named Kai, making it the #93 boys' name in the US. Since 1926, 70,232 boys have been named Kai, with the most (5,374) in 2022. It is most common, relative to births, in Hawaii, Rhode Island and New Mexico.
In 2025, 234 girls were named Kai, making it the #1053 girls' name in the US. Since 1953, 8,478 girls have been named Kai, with the most (371) in 2021. It is most common, relative to births, in Louisiana, Kansas and Arizona.
Source: Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2025. Names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year are not listed.
Other countries
Counts are babies born that year, or living people for "all ages" rows, as published by each country's statistics office or population register.
Kai in other languages
- Kaj Danish, Dutch, Swedish
- Kay Dutch, English
- かい Japanese
Kai name days
- October 14 Norway
- August 13 Sweden
Source: Wikidata (CC0).
Towns named Kai
There are 335 towns and villages with Kai in their name, in 30 countries.
🇹🇭 Thailand 176🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo 27🇵🇰 Pakistan 23🇻🇳 Vietnam 21🇭🇰 Hong Kong 14🇲🇲 Myanmar 11🇨🇳 China 9🇮🇳 India 7
| Name | Where | Population | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kai | Yamanashi, 🇯🇵 Japan | 75,313 | Map |
| Kai Tak | Kowloon City, 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 42,552 | Map |
| Aliʻi Kai | Hawaii, 🇺🇸 United States | – | Map |
| Ban Kai | Nan, 🇹🇭 Thailand | – | Map |
| Bản Kai | Tuyen Quang, 🇻🇳 Vietnam | – | Map |
| Bản Kai | Thai Nguyen, 🇻🇳 Vietnam | – | Map |
| Bản Kai | Thai Nguyen, 🇻🇳 Vietnam | – | Map |
| Bản Kai | Sơn La Province, 🇻🇳 Vietnam | – | Map |
| Chhot Kāi | Uttar Pradesh, 🇮🇳 India | – | Map |
| Ham Kai | Lao Cai, 🇻🇳 Vietnam | – | Map |
Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Maps: OpenStreetMap.
Lakes named Kai
There are 17 lakes and reservoirs with Kai in their name, in 4 countries.
🇹🇭 Thailand 14🇨🇦 Canada 1🇮🇩 Indonesia 1🇳🇵 Nepal 1
| Name | Where | |
|---|---|---|
| Kai Lagoon | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | Map |
| Kāi Pokhari̇̄ | Koshi, 🇳🇵 Nepal | Map |
| Ang Kep Nam Bo Kai | Chiang Rai, 🇹🇭 Thailand | Map |
| Ang Kep Nam Huai Kai To | Prachuap Khiri Khan, 🇹🇭 Thailand | Map |
| Ang Kep Nam Huai Loeng Kai Ok | Kalasin, 🇹🇭 Thailand | Map |
| Ang Kep Nam Huai Sai Kai | Roi Et, 🇹🇭 Thailand | Map |
| Ang Kep Nam Khlong Kai Thuean | Uthai Thani, 🇹🇭 Thailand | Map |
| Ang Kep Nam Nong Kai Lueang | Kanchanaburi, 🇹🇭 Thailand | Map |
| Ang Kep Nam Nong Kai Thuean | Phetchaburi, 🇹🇭 Thailand | Map |
| Ang Kep Nam Nong Kai Thuean Song | Phetchaburi, 🇹🇭 Thailand | Map |
Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Maps: OpenStreetMap.
Celebrities named Kai
Based on celebrities listed on Wikipedia, filtered to only those with the first name Kai.
Kai Bülow
Kai Eckhardt
Kai Forbath
Kai Hahto
See more...
Fictional characters named Kai
Characters from films and TV series, from Wikidata, ordered by how widely they are covered on Wikipedia.
Character data: Wikidata (CC0). Images: Wikimedia Commons; click an image for its author and licence.
Kai as a pet name
FurryName has found 422 dogs named Kai in public pet registers, making it the #344 dog name there. Most of them are registered in Seattle (29), Maple Ridge (7), Richmond (5). Kai as a dog name →
FurryName has found 14 cats named Kai in public pet registers, making it the #718 cat name there. Most of them are registered in Seattle (8), Toronto (5), Vancouver (1). Kai as a cat name →
Kai products
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Kai name mug
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Kai tumbler
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Kai cap
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Kai t-shirt
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Kai necklace
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Kai bracelet
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Kai keychain
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Kai ornament
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Kai baby blanket
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Kai name puzzle
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Kai wall sign
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Kai pillow
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