Kai
A short form of Katherine; also the Arthurian knight Cai, from Latin Caius.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Kai first shows up in the national records in 1926. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 2019 to 2025. Its biggest year was 2022, when 5,374 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 59 nationally. In 2025 it ranked No. 93 for boys. The name has also seen real use for girls: 8,478 of the 78,710 Americans given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Kay (102,545), Kaye (13,707), Cai (1,945), Ka (917), Kae (753) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Katherine
Explore Kai interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 6 | No. 3708 |
| 1930s | 6 | No. 3361 |
| 1940s | 10 | No. 3430 |
| 1950s | 148 | No. 1559 |
| 1960s | 341 | No. 1083 |
| 1970s | 592 | No. 945 |
| 1980s | 958 | No. 848 |
| 1990s | 2,640 | No. 478 |
| 2000s | 12,620 | No. 213 |
| 2010s | 25,984 | No. 100 |
| 2020s | 26,927 | No. 59 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.