Cai
The name Kai has various origins and meanings in different cultures:In Estonian, Kai is a female name derived from Katherine. In Persian, Kai, or Kay, is a male name, meaning "king". It is also the name of a mythological shah (king) in the Shahnameh. In Japanese, kai has a number of meanings, including "ocean" (海), "shell" (貝), etc. In Hawaiian, Kai is the word for “sea” in its language.
Meaning & Origin of Cai
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The name Kai has various origins and meanings in different cultures:In Estonian, Kai is a female name derived from Katherine. In Persian, Kai, or Kay, is a male name, meaning "king". It is also the name of a mythological shah (king) in the Shahnameh. In Japanese, kai has a number of meanings, including "ocean" (海), "shell" (貝), etc. In Hawaiian, Kai is the word for “sea” in its language.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Cai
As a girl name
Cai first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1996, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2020, when 38 Cais were born — ranking #3,777 that year. As of 2026, Cai ranks #7,053 for girls with 15 births, falling sharply (-28%). In total, more than 513 Cais have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Cai first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1989, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 108 Cais were born — ranking #1,611 that year. As of 2026, Cai ranks #1,772 for boys with 93 births, rising sharply (+31% over the past five years). In total, more than 2K Cais have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Cai
Phonetically similar names — useful when Cai is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cai
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About the name Cai
Cai is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1989 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Cai's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #1,611. Use the chart and map above to compare Cai's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.