Girl & boy name
Kai
As of 2025, Kai ranks #93 among American boys' names, according to Social Security records. 3,768 boys received the name that year. The ranking has held remarkably steady over the last five years. SSA records for Kai go back to 1926; the peak came in 2022 at #59, with 5,374 babies named that year. Geographically, it's strongest in Hawaii, where it ranks #13 among boy names.
Rankings
Kai popularity, 1880–2025
Where Kai is most popular
Uniqueness score
You'll meet plenty of them — a true chart-topper. Based on how many babies per birth were named Kai in the most recent year of SSA data.
Kai as a girl name
Kai is currently the #1053 girl name in the United States, based on 2025 Social Security data. In raw numbers: 234 babies. It has drifted down the charts over the past five years, from #791 to #1053. Looking at the full record since 1953, Kai hit its all-time high of #768 in 2021, when 371 girls were given the name. State by state, Kansas leads the way at #578.