Cai
Boy name · 75 babies recorded · 1974–2025
Cai: 75 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 6 births in 2015.
Cai is a Welsh name, a diminutive of Caius, which itself derives from the Latin Gaius, meaning ‘rejoice’. The name is famously borne by Sir Cai (Kay in English), the bold foster-brother of King Arthur in the Matter of Britain, and appears in the Mabinogion as Cei. It also shares a root with the Roman Gaius, as in Julius Caesar. The name Cai has no direct place connections but is common across Wales and may be linked to the river Cai in north-east Scotland. It’s a short, strong variant of the more familiar Guy or Kay and has subtle Scandinavian echoes via the Old Norse Kári.
Boy 20 of 52 years
- Peak year
- 20156 babies
- Latest (2025)
- #7623 babies
- Total births
- 75since 2001
- 5-year trend
- ≈ stablevs prior 5y