Kai (name)

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Kai
Given Name
Pronunciation Kye
Gender Male & Female
Meaning Keeper of the keys; Earth
Origin various
Related names Kyle, Kaj
Wikipedia articles All pages beginning with Kai
Look up Kai in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The name Kai (pronounced /ˈkaɪ/) has various origins, from completely different cultures:

  • Kai is a Polynesian and Hawaiian word/name meaning "big water", "the ocean", "the sea"; Makai means "towards big water".
  • In Welsh and Scandinavian cultures, Kai means "keeper of the keys; earth".
  • Kai is a Hmong male name that is sometimes spelled Kha.
  • In Burmese, Kai means "strong", or "unbreakable".
  • In Japanese, Kai has several meanings, including "change" or "the action to correct", "mediation" or "concerning oneself with", as well as "sea" (the last definition possibly derived from Polynesian languages).
  • Kai in the Navajo language means "willow tree".
  • In Estonian, Kai is a female name meaning "pier".

According to the 1990 United States Census, Kai is a very rare male first name. In Northern Ireland, data indicated that "Kai" experienced a significant rise in popularity as a male give name from 2002 to 2003. While it is typically a male given name, in recent years it has become popular among females as well. [1]


People with the name Kai include:

[edit] Given name

WP Anthroponymy notice This page or section lists people with the given name Kai. If an internal link for a specific person referred you to this page, you may wish to add the surname to that link.
  • Kai, high priest to Pharaoh Khufu in ancient Egypt
  • Kai Budde, a famous player of the card game Magic: The Gathering
  • Kai Hansen, heavy metal vocalist and guitarist for Helloween, Iron Saviour, and Gamma Ray
  • Kai Krause, a pioneer in the field of computer applications
  • Kai Mosaker, aka Trym Torson, drummer of Scandinavian extreme metal bands Emperor and Zyklon
  • Kai Pflaume, famous German Reality TV Show Host
  • Kai Ryssdal, radio journalist
  • Kai Stephens, member of the British indie band Hard-Fi
  • Kai Wiesinger, German actor
  • Kai Winding, jazz trombonist
  • Kai Wong, New York actor, producer, singer

[edit] Surname

WP Anthroponymy notice This page or section lists people with the surname Kai. If an internal link for a specific person referred you to this page, you may wish to add the given name(s) to that link.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (2004-01-02). "Jack and Emma were the most popular first names in Northern Ireland in 2003" (PDF). Press release. Retrieved on 2008-02-14. “Kai has risen from rank 156 in 2002 to rank 94 in 2003....”