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Kai

Boy / Girl name · 3,388 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Kai: 3,388 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to both boys and girls, peaking at 216 births in 2013.

A short, punchy name with global reach, Kai has multiple wellsprings. In Welsh it means 'keeper of the keys' and is linked to the Arthurian knight Sir Kay; in Hawaiian it simply means 'sea'; and in Japanese it can mean 'ocean', 'shell', or 'recovery'. As a Scottish name, it is often a modern variant of Kay or a short form of Malcolm. Famous bearers include the German-born footballer Kai Havertz and the Norwegian singer Kai Somby. There is no major place directly named after a Kai, but the name shares its root with the Italian city of Gaeta. A fascinating correlation: in the 1990s, Kai became a top-100 choice in Scotland, propelled by its sleek, cross-cultural simplicity.