Kai Name Meaning & Origin
Kai
Origin of the name Kai:
Popular Scandinavian name of uncertain origin and meaning,
From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman.
Related Names:
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US Popularity of Kai Over Time

Sister & Brother Names
Know a Kai? What are his siblings named?
Name Lists Featuring Kai
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (New South Wales) 2014
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (Victoria) 2014
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in the Republic of Ireland 2014
- English and Welsh Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in England and Wales (2013)
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Northern Ireland 2014
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (New South Wales), 2010
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (Victoria), 2010
- Scottish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Scotland, 2011
- English and Welsh Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in England and Wales
- English Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in England
- Scottish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Scotland for 2012
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Northern Ireland for 2012
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (New South Wales) for 2012
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (Victoria) for 2012
- Scottish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Scotland
- Dutch Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in The Netherlands
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in the Republic of Ireland
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (New South Wales)
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (Victoria)
- New Zealand Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in New Zealand (Maori)
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (Western)
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (Queensland)
- English Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in England
Contribute your knowledge to the name Kai
- Comments and insights on the name Kai
Kai is a popular male name in the western world including Australia, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Norway, and Denmark. It is beginning to gain popularity in the United Sates as well. Kai is also a fairly common male name in China where it means “victory,” and is also used in Japan and Korea. The Spanish and Portuguese version of Kai is Kaio.
Strong and simple, with a lot of style. Masculine. Reminds me of a king. I love it spelled both Kai and Kye. Will age well.
- Personal experiences with the name Kai
One of my best guy friends is named Kai. He is an amazingly talented person and I would probably have failed 9th grade math without him (I was in the super advanced class though).
My best friend is named Kai and he is the kindest, strongest, most wonder person on the planet. I love this name because it is so unique and gives such a strong, simple feel. Perfect name!
Singin' Ky-yi-yippee-yappee-yay
- Nicknames for Kai
KaiKai, Kai-Guy, King Kai, Kaiyote, Kairyannosaurus rex,
- Meanings and history of the name Kai
Kai is a name in many languages. In addition to the Scandinavian listed above, in Hawaiian it means ocean, and is often an element in longer names as well as a stand-alone name; it is a Chinese name; and a name element in Japanese (that can be used on its own as a nickname). It may also be a Welsh name, as an alternate spelling for Kay (as in Sir Kay of King Arthur's Round Table).
In japanese it means "ocean", "open" and "Shellfish" depending what Kanji/hiragana you use.
In Persian it also means "little King"In Australia the Torress Strait Islanders Sing "Kai Wed" Before a ball game, after the Kai tree.
In Greece it means fire or fireball.
- Famous real-life people named Kai
Kai Ryssdal, National Public Radio personality
Kai Winding - Danish jazz trombonist and composer
Kai Yu Hanson - footballer (Rangers Football Club, Glasgow, Scotland)
Kai Wayne Rooney- son of England and Man United footballer Wayne Rooney and his wife Colleen Rooney.
Kai Kompany - son of Manchester City footballer, Vincent Kompany
Kai Robben - Son of Bayern Munich and Dutch Int’l footballer, Arjen Robben
Kai Havertz - German Footballer
Kai Mahler - X games big air gold medalist skier
Kai Lenny - professional surfer
Kai Krause - German American software designer, creator of Kai's Power Tools
Kai - Drummer from the Japanese rock band, the GazettE
Kai Kim, South Korean lead rapper, main dancer, and vocalist of South Korean pop boy group EXO
Kai Wulff, American actor with German roots
Kai-Uwe von Hassel, German Minister of Defense
Kai-Uwe Wulff, Entrepreneur, Internet visionary and mentor
Kai David Singh Stenson (b. 2009), son of English film and television actress Parminder Nagra- Kai in song, story & screen
Kai is the beloved friend of the little girl Gerda, who rescues him from the Snow Queen in Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale, "The Snow Queen". A Hallmark movie was made from this story in 2002, directed by David Wu.
Emperor Kai (short for Kaito) is a leading character in the popular YA series The Lunar Chronicles.
Kai is the fire ninja in the Lego Ninjago series. His sister is named Nya.
Kai Chisaki, the name of the villain Overhaul from My Hero Academia.