Kai is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Kai means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Kai across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Kai has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Kai is a boy name of Hawaiian origin meaning “sea”. A name of multiple origins, often Hawaiian for sea.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 78,710 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 24,685 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 3,388 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 780 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 1,870 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Kai per year, United States (1926 to 2025). United States peaked in 2022 (5,732/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2010 (1,311/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2013 (216/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2022 (163/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2021 (54/yr).
Kai has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 2022, when it ranked #90 nationally (given to 6,875 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 2020s.
Kay · Kaia · Koa · Kaye · Gay · Kaya · Kia · Kaiya
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