Kai is a distinctive choice, ranked #4844 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Kai in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#4844
US Rank #76
About the Name Kai
Kai has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 1727 places in five years. It was most popular in 2014 at #77 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996. It has broken into the UK top 100 on 3 occasions, signalling genuine mainstream interest.
Kai is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #76, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Kai
Unlikely. With around 4 UK babies named Kai per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Kai in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Kai has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 1727 places in the last five years. Its peak was #77 in 2014. Choosing it now means he is likely to be among the last of his generation with this name.
Kai is more popular in the US (#76) than in the UK (#4844). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Kai include: Kai Cenat — Kai Carlo Cenat III is an American online streamer, YouTuber, and internet personality who specializes in comedic live streams and videos.; Kai Greene — Leslie Kai Greene is an American professional bodybuilder, actor, and artist.; Kai Bird — Kai Bird is an American author and columnist, best known for his works on the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, United States-Middle East political....
Kai ranks #76 in the US (2024), making it comfortably inside the American top 100. It's well-liked on both sides of the Atlantic.
4
UK babies named Kai (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
< 1
In a school of 600
↓ 1727 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Kai
Likely around 1 other Kai in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Kai
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Kai Carlo Cenat III is an American online streamer, YouTuber, and internet personality who specializes in comedic live streams and videos. As of 2025, he is the most-subscribed Twitch streamer in the world, as well as the most-followed Twitch streamer with 20 million followers.
Leslie Kai Greene is an American professional bodybuilder, actor, and artist. Nicknamed "The Predator" and "The People's Champ", he is known for his leg development and artistic posing routines.
Kai Bird is an American author and columnist, best known for his works on the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, United States-Middle East political relations, and his biographies of political figures. He won a Pulitzer Prize for American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J.
Caleb Lawrence McGillvary, also known as Kai, is a Canadian man who first became known from the internet viral video "Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker", which featured him recounting a crime he witnessed while hitchhiking. McGillvary subsequently received national attention in the press.