Kaia
Kaia is an Estonian and Norwegian name. It is also used as a variant for the name Kai, which means 'sea' in Hawaiian. Notable people with the name include:
Meaning & Origin of Kaia
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kaia is an Estonian and Norwegian name. It is also used as a variant for the name Kai, which means 'sea' in Hawaiian. Notable people with the name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Kaia
Kaia first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1955, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 1,812 Kaias were born — ranking #166 that year. As of 2026, Kaia ranks #166 for baby girls with 1,812 births, rising sharply (+50% over the past five years). In total, more than 23K Kaias have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kaia
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kaia 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 Kaia
What does the name Kaia mean?
How popular is Kaia in 2026?
When was Kaia most popular?
In which U.S. states is Kaia most popular?
Is Kaia a unisex name?
What names go well with Kaia?
About the name Kaia
Kaia is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1955 and has accumulated 23K births in the dataset. Kaia's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #166. Use the chart and map above to compare Kaia's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.