Kai
#1,053 for girls in 2025, 234 births · #93 for boys in 2025, 3,768 births
Given to boys 89.2% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 2022 · 5,374 births
- Debut · boys
- 6 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 7 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 70,232since 1926
Kai over time
Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #1,053 | 234 | #93 | 3,768 |
| 2024 | #1,128 | 214 | #76 | 4,301 |
| 2023 | #940 | 282 | #61 | 4,976 |
| 2022 | #789 | 358 | #59 | 5,374 |
| 2021 | #768 | 371 | #70 | 4,641 |
| 2020 | #791 | 344 | #93 | 3,867 |
| 2019 | #809 | 338 | #100 | 3,744 |
| 2018 | #853 | 318 | #112 | 3,463 |
| 2017 | #808 | 338 | #126 | 3,158 |
| 2016 | #876 | 320 | #145 | 2,895 |
| 2015 | #888 | 311 | #145 | 2,852 |
| 2014 | #989 | 270 | #177 | 2,411 |
| 2013 | #906 | 282 | #199 | 1,983 |
| 2012 | #917 | 281 | #197 | 1,938 |
| 2011 | #887 | 294 | #202 | 1,790 |
| 2010 | #955 | 268 | #205 | 1,750 |
| 2009 | #1,085 | 235 | #213 | 1,759 |
| 2008 | #1,104 | 234 | #229 | 1,609 |
| 2007 | #1,199 | 210 | #252 | 1,399 |
| 2006 | #1,299 | 180 | #238 | 1,451 |
| 2005 | #1,227 | 185 | #239 | 1,413 |
| 2004 | #1,302 | 164 | #248 | 1,324 |
| 2003 | #1,365 | 148 | #264 | 1,217 |
| 2002 | #1,252 | 158 | #276 | 1,108 |
| 2001 | #1,468 | 128 | #370 | 718 |
| 2000 | #1,412 | 131 | #403 | 622 |
| 1999 | #1,279 | 144 | #478 | 465 |
| 1998 | #1,366 | 126 | #548 | 363 |
| 1997 | #1,343 | 128 | #575 | 322 |
| 1996 | #1,722 | 87 | #598 | 297 |
| 1995 | #1,776 | 81 | #534 | 357 |
| 1994 | #1,688 | 88 | #710 | 216 |
| 1993 | #1,830 | 79 | #783 | 182 |
| 1992 | #2,010 | 68 | #836 | 159 |
| 1991 | #2,388 | 53 | #831 | 155 |
| 1990 | #2,402 | 51 | #926 | 124 |
| 1989 | #2,879 | 38 | #848 | 140 |
| 1988 | #2,489 | 43 | #1,013 | 93 |
| 1987 | #2,852 | 34 | #921 | 105 |
| 1986 | #3,135 | 29 | #932 | 96 |
| 1985 | #2,804 | 33 | #910 | 99 |
| 1984 | #2,050 | 49 | #960 | 85 |
| 1983 | #2,475 | 37 | #1,022 | 75 |
| 1982 | #2,414 | 40 | #920 | 94 |
| 1981 | #2,195 | 46 | #959 | 88 |
| 1980 | #1,735 | 64 | #989 | 83 |
| 1979 | #1,874 | 56 | #945 | 87 |
| 1978 | #1,598 | 67 | #1,005 | 74 |
| 1977 | #2,091 | 45 | #1,064 | 66 |
| 1976 | #2,060 | 42 | #1,163 | 54 |
| 1975 | #2,097 | 41 | #1,099 | 58 |
| 1974 | #1,961 | 43 | #1,171 | 50 |
| 1973 | #1,885 | 44 | #1,123 | 53 |
| 1972 | #1,832 | 46 | #1,129 | 52 |
| 1971 | #2,874 | 24 | #1,330 | 40 |
| 1970 | #3,110 | 21 | #1,070 | 58 |
| 1969 | #6,617 | 6 | #1,152 | 46 |
| 1968 | #3,789 | 13 | #1,083 | 47 |
| 1967 | #3,484 | 14 | #1,181 | 40 |
| 1966 | #4,198 | 10 | #1,259 | 36 |
| 1965 | #3,264 | 15 | #1,335 | 33 |
| 1964 | #6,009 | 6 | #1,384 | 32 |
| 1963 | #4,896 | 8 | #1,318 | 35 |
| 1962 | #3,438 | 14 | #1,454 | 29 |
| 1961 | #4,546 | 9 | #1,686 | 23 |
| 1960 | #5,168 | 7 | #1,812 | 20 |
| 1959 | #5,031 | 7 | #1,559 | 26 |
| 1958 | #4,193 | 9 | #1,766 | 20 |
| 1957 | #3,489 | 12 | #2,019 | 16 |
| 1956 | — | #2,361 | 12 | |
| 1955 | — | #1,646 | 22 | |
| 1954 | — | #2,114 | 14 | |
| 1953 | #5,673 | 5 | #2,531 | 10 |
| 1952 | — | #3,734 | 5 | |
| 1951 | — | #2,055 | 14 | |
| 1950 | — | #2,580 | 9 | |
| 1949 | — | #3,690 | 5 | |
| 1948 | — | — | ||
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| 1944 | — | #3,430 | 5 | |
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| 1932 | — | #3,361 | 6 | |
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| 1926 | — | #3,708 | 6 | |
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| 1880 | — | — | ||
The first year at least five boys were named Kai! It came in at #3,708, and was given to 6 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1927–1931, when fewer than 5 boys a year got the name.
Where Kai is popular in 2016
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Hawaii#17 · 1 in 118
- District of Columbia#72 · 1 in 235
- Utah#86 · 1 in 344
- Florida#90 · 1 in 389
- Nebraska#93 · 1 in 311
Best ever in a state: #2 in Hawaii, 2021.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | #17 | 39 | 1 in 118 |
| District of Columbia | #72 | 19 | 1 in 235 |
| Utah | #86 | 61 | 1 in 344 |
| Florida | #90 | 252 | 1 in 389 |
| Nebraska | #93 | 32 | 1 in 311 |
| Maryland | #101 | 71 | 1 in 388 |
| Nevada | #101 | 35 | 1 in 384 |
| Alaska | #102 | 11 | 1 in 299 |
| Oregon | #104 | 47 | 1 in 391 |
| Washington | #105 | 93 | 1 in 398 |
| Wyoming | #105 | 6 | 1 in 290 |
| California | #112 | 495 | 1 in 452 |
| Colorado | #117 | 63 | 1 in 437 |
| South Dakota | #118 | 11 | 1 in 372 |
| New Mexico | #120 | 20 | 1 in 419 |
| Idaho | #128 | 18 | 1 in 447 |
| Arizona | #129 | 73 | 1 in 494 |
| Vermont | #129 | 5 | 1 in 332 |
| Massachusetts | #136 | 54 | 1 in 545 |
| Louisiana | #138 | 45 | 1 in 546 |
| Montana | #138 | 9 | 1 in 437 |
| Delaware | #139 | 8 | 1 in 444 |
| New York | #139 | 157 | 1 in 637 |
| Virginia | #140 | 69 | 1 in 603 |
| New Jersey | #145 | 67 | 1 in 620 |
| Pennsylvania | #145 | 93 | 1 in 637 |
| Rhode Island | #145 | 8 | 1 in 489 |
| Georgia | #147 | 84 | 1 in 640 |
| Connecticut | #159 | 22 | 1 in 641 |
| Oklahoma | #165 | 34 | 1 in 596 |
| Wisconsin | #167 | 40 | 1 in 673 |
| Maine | #172 | 8 | 1 in 568 |
| Kansas | #175 | 24 | 1 in 652 |
| Missouri | #175 | 46 | 1 in 687 |
| Texas | #175 | 244 | 1 in 759 |
| North Carolina | #176 | 69 | 1 in 753 |
| Minnesota | #188 | 36 | 1 in 778 |
| Iowa | #189 | 22 | 1 in 692 |
| North Dakota | #192 | 7 | 1 in 588 |
| Ohio | #193 | 71 | 1 in 835 |
| Illinois | #194 | 79 | 1 in 812 |
| Indiana | #196 | 46 | 1 in 773 |
| Michigan | #200 | 55 | 1 in 868 |
| Arkansas | #201 | 21 | 1 in 684 |
| New Hampshire | #201 | 6 | 1 in 772 |
| West Virginia | #202 | 10 | 1 in 782 |
| Tennessee | #208 | 43 | 1 in 842 |
| South Carolina | #216 | 23 | 1 in 922 |
| Alabama | #237 | 23 | 1 in 1,004 |
| Mississippi | #283 | 11 | 1 in 1,221 |
| Kentucky | #411 | 10 | 1 in 2,181 |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Kai
- 17 spots since 2024 (#76 → #93)
- Same as 2020 (#93)
- 52 spots since 2015 (#145 → #93)
- Biggest jump: 176 spots in 1995 (#710 → #534)
- Biggest drop: 102 spots in 1983 (#920 → #1,022)
- Debuted 1926
- Peaked 2022 at #59 (5,374 births)
- Not yet halved from its peak
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 7 yrs · run 2019–2025
- Top 1,000: 45 yrs · run 1989–2025
- Highest: 1 in 325 boys born in 2022 were named Kai (0.31%)
- Latest: 1 in 453 boys born in 2025 (0.22%)
- 38.3% of all boys named Kai (26,927) were born in this decade
- The majority has never changed
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 6 | #3,708 (1926) | #3,708 |
| 1930s | 6 | #3,361 (1932) | #3,361 |
| 1940s | 10 | #3,430 (1944) | #3,560 |
| 1950s | 148 | #1,559 (1959) | #2,237 |
| 1960s | 341 | #1,083 (1968) | #1,366 |
| 1970s | 592 | #945 (1979) | #1,110 |
| 1980s | 958 | #848 (1989) | #947 |
| 1990s | 2,640 | #478 (1999) | #682 |
| 2000s | 12,620 | #213 (2009) | #273 |
| 2010s | 25,984 | #100 (2019) | #161 |
| 2020s | 26,927 | #59 (2022) | #75 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Kai in 2016
Top girls' names in 2016
Top boys' names in 2016
More about 2016
girls
1,772,022 girls got a published name in 2016; 1 in 5,538 of them was named Kai, which outranked 95.4% of the 18,885 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 8.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
boys
1,897,738 boys got a published name in 2016; 1 in 656 of them was named Kai, which outranked 99.0% of the 14,207 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 8.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.