Kai

See also: kai, kài, kāi, kǎi, -kai, and ka'i

English

Etymology

Taken into regular use in the 1990s, with earlier popularity peaks in Scandinavia and Germany. The medieval Danish Kaj is possibly of Roman origin, Latinized as Caius, like the rare medieval English male given name Kay. The German Kai may also derive from a West Frisian pet form of Gerard, Cornelius, Nicholas, or Kampe "warrior". In the U.S. Kai has also been explained as Hawaiian kai (“sea”).

Pronunciation

• (Canada) IPA^(key): /kaɪ/
• Rhymes: -aɪ

Proper noun

Kai

1. A male given name from the Germanic languages of modern usage.
2. (rare) A female given name of modern usage.

Anagrams

• AKI, KIA, Kia, aik

Danish

Proper noun

Kai

1. a male given name, a less common spelling of Kaj

References

• [1] Danskernes Navne, based on CPR data: 8 117 males with the given name Kai (compared to 31 574 named Kaj) have been registered in Denmark between about 1890 (=the population alive in 1967) and January 2005, with the frequency peak in the 1920s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.

Estonian

Proper noun

Kai

1. a female given name, short for Kaia, Katariina ("Catherine")

Faroese

Etymology

From Danish Kaj, from Latin Cāius, from Etruscan 𐌂𐌀𐌉𐌄 (caie), from an era when the letter C represented the phonetic value /ɡ/.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʰaiː/
• Rhymes: -aiː
• Homophones: kai, kei

Proper noun

Kai m

1. a male given name, compare Kaj (more common, but Danish spelling)

Usage notes

Patronymics

• son of Kai: Kaisson
• daughter Kai: Kaisdóttir

Declension

	Singular
	Indefinite
Nominative	Kai
Accusative	Kai
Dative	Kai
Genitive	Kais

Finnish

Etymology

From Danish Kaj.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑi̯/, [ˈkɑ̝i̯]
• Rhymes: -ɑi
• Syllabification^(key): Kai

Proper noun

Kai

1. a male given name

Declension

Inflection of Kai (Kotus type 18/maa, no gradation)
nominative		Kai	Kait
genitive		Kain	Kaiden Kaitten
partitive		Kaita	Kaita
illative		Kaihin	Kaihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Kai	Kait
accusative	nom.	Kai	Kait
	gen.	Kain
genitive		Kain	Kaiden Kaitten
partitive		Kaita	Kaita
inessive		Kaissa	Kaissa
elative		Kaista	Kaista
illative		Kaihin	Kaihin
adessive		Kailla	Kailla
ablative		Kailta	Kailta
allative		Kaille	Kaille
essive		Kaina	Kaina
translative		Kaiksi	Kaiksi
abessive		Kaitta	Kaitta
instructive		—	Kain
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Kai (Kotus type 18/maa, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Kaini Kaini accusative nom. Kaini Kaini gen. Kaini genitive Kaini Kaideni Kaitteni partitive Kaitani Kaitani inessive Kaissani Kaissani elative Kaistani Kaistani illative Kaihini Kaihini adessive Kaillani Kaillani ablative Kailtani Kailtani allative Kailleni Kailleni essive Kainani Kainani translative Kaikseni Kaikseni abessive Kaittani Kaittani instructive — — comitative — Kaineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Kaisi Kaisi accusative nom. Kaisi Kaisi gen. Kaisi genitive Kaisi Kaidesi Kaittesi partitive Kaitasi Kaitasi inessive Kaissasi Kaissasi elative Kaistasi Kaistasi illative Kaihisi Kaihisi adessive Kaillasi Kaillasi ablative Kailtasi Kailtasi allative Kaillesi Kaillesi essive Kainasi Kainasi translative Kaiksesi Kaiksesi abessive Kaittasi Kaittasi instructive — — comitative — Kainesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Kaimme Kaimme accusative nom. Kaimme Kaimme gen. Kaimme genitive Kaimme Kaidemme Kaittemme partitive Kaitamme Kaitamme inessive Kaissamme Kaissamme elative Kaistamme Kaistamme illative Kaihimme Kaihimme adessive Kaillamme Kaillamme ablative Kailtamme Kailtamme allative Kaillemme Kaillemme essive Kainamme Kainamme translative Kaiksemme Kaiksemme abessive Kaittamme Kaittamme instructive — — comitative — Kainemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Kainne Kainne accusative nom. Kainne Kainne gen. Kainne genitive Kainne Kaidenne Kaittenne partitive Kaitanne Kaitanne inessive Kaissanne Kaissanne elative Kaistanne Kaistanne illative Kaihinne Kaihinne adessive Kaillanne Kaillanne ablative Kailtanne Kailtanne allative Kaillenne Kaillenne essive Kainanne Kainanne translative Kaiksenne Kaiksenne abessive Kaittanne Kaittanne instructive — — comitative — Kainenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Kainsa Kainsa accusative nom. Kainsa Kainsa gen. Kainsa genitive Kainsa Kaidensa Kaittensa partitive Kaitaan Kaitansa Kaitaan Kaitansa inessive Kaissaan Kaissansa Kaissaan Kaissansa elative Kaistaan Kaistansa Kaistaan Kaistansa illative Kaihinsa Kaihinsa adessive Kaillaan Kaillansa Kaillaan Kaillansa ablative Kailtaan Kailtansa Kailtaan Kailtansa allative Kailleen Kaillensa Kailleen Kaillensa essive Kainaan Kainansa Kainaan Kainansa translative Kaikseen Kaiksensa Kaikseen Kaiksensa abessive Kaittaan Kaittansa Kaittaan Kaittansa instructive — — comitative — Kaineen Kainensa

Statistics

• Kai is the 91^st most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 7,771 male individuals (and as a middle name to 1,269 more), and also belongs to 34 female individuals (and as a middle name to 12 more), according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Anagrams

• Aki, aik.

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaɪ̯/
• Rhymes: -aɪ̯

Etymology 1

17th century, from Dutch kaai, from Middle Dutch kaey (whence also through hypercorrection Dutch kade). The word is ultimately Celtic, but it is unsettled whether the Dutch form is borrowed via Old French kay, as traditionally held, or indeed vice versa.

Noun

Kai m (strong, genitive Kais, plural Kais or (uncommon) Kaie)

1. wharf, quay

Declension

Declension of Kai [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Kai	die	Kais, Kaie1
genitive	eines	des	Kais	der	Kais, Kaie1
dative	einem	dem	Kai	den	Kais, Kaien1
accusative	einen	den	Kai	die	Kais, Kaie1

¹Uncommon.

Descendants

• → Polish: keja

Etymology 2

Taken into regular use in the 20th century; either borrowed from Danish Kaj, or from a West Frisian baby talk form of Kaimbe, Kempe (“fighter, warrior”), Gerrit (“Gerard”), Cornelis (“Cornelius”) and Kleis (“Nicholas”).

Proper noun

Kai m or f (proper noun, strong, genitive Kais, plural Kais)

1. (chiefly Northern Germany) a male given name
2. (rare) a diminutive of the female given name Katharina

Declension

Declension of Kai [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Kai	die	Kais
genitive	eines	des	Kais	der	Kais
dative	einem	dem	Kai	den	Kais
accusative	einen	den	Kai	die	Kais

Declension of Kai [feminine]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	eine	die	Kai	die	Kais
genitive	einer	der	Kais	der	Kais
dative	einer	der	Kai	den	Kais
accusative	eine	die	Kai	die	Kais

Alternative forms

• Kaj, Kay

Hawaiian

Etymology

From kai (“sea, sea water”) ; also a short form of compound given names containing this word.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkai̯/, [ˈkɐj], [ˈkɛj] (rapid speech)

Proper noun

Kai

1. a male given name from Hawaiian
2. (less common) a female given name from Hawaiian

References

• Hawaii State Archives: Marriage records Kai occurs in 19th century marriage records as the only name (mononym) of 10 women and 13 men.
• Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names by State: Kai was included in the top hundred first names for boys born in the State of Hawaii in 1995-2008.

Norwegian

Proper noun

Kai

1. a male given name derived from Danish Kaj

Turkish

Proper noun

Kai

1. a male given name derived from Kayı

See also

• Kailar
• Kayılar