Kai is a Welsh and Scandinavian name and it can mean “earth” or “keeper of keys”. There are also some connections to Hawaiian roots where the name Kai means “sea”.
The name Kai is also a short version of the name Kaimbe which means “warrior” and this name is used across many countries like Africa, Korea, China, and Turkey.
More often than not, this name is given to male children but has also been used for girls too.
- Kai Name Origin: Welsh
- Kai Name Meaning:
- Pronunciation: k-ai-h
- Gender: Most often used as a name for boys but can be used for girls too.
How Popular is the name Kai?
Kai has been quite a popular name in Wales and it has remained in the top 1000 names for boys since around the 1970s. The name Kai made it to the top 100 baby names in 2019 and it placed number 794 for girls’ names in the year 2020.
It is very often used in the United States today and people estimate that one out of every 405 baby boys are named Kai, and one out of every 4836 baby girls are named Kai, based on 2021 statistics.
Variations of the Name Kai
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
| Caius | Rejoice | Latin |
| Cai | Rejoice or happy | Latin and Welsh |
| Kaleb | Devotion to God | Hebrew |
| Chi | Tree branch or twig | Vietnamese |
| Kian | Ancient or king | Gaelic |
| Kyler | Bowman or archer | Dutch |
| Kylo | Sky or Heavenly | American and Latin |
Other Amazing Welsh Boys Names
If you’re eager to find a welsh name for your son then here are some others that you may want to consider!
| Name | Meaning |
| Aron | Celtic Saint |
| Arwyn | Handsome |
| Dylan | The son of the sea and waves |
| Gruffydd | Lord or Prince |
| Harri | Welsh equivalent of Harry |
| Cedric | Generous |
| Elis | God’s promise |
Alternative Boy Names Starting With “K”
You may not be so adamant on having a baby boy with a welsh name but you may have your heart set on something starting with a “K”. Here are some other alternative boy names starting with this letter.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
| Kennedy | Helmet | Irish and Scottish |
| Kaleb | Devotion to God | Hebrew |
| Kenneth | Handsome | English |
| Kevin | Handsome | Irish |
| Kinsley | King’s meadow | Old english |
| Karson | Son of marsh dwellers | Scottish |
| Kaden | Companion, round or fighter | Arabic and Welsh |
Famous People Named Kai
Because of the wide origin of this name, being in Wales or Hawaii, the name Kai is pretty popular and there’s no surprise when a few famous people have been called this. So, let’s take a look at some of the famous people named Kai.
- Kai Alexander – British Actor
- Kai Wen Tan – American Gymnast
- Kai Bird – American Journalist
- Kai Althoff – German multimedia Artist
- Kai Budde – German gamer