ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 1955 First Year 2026 Last Year 2026 Peak Year #166 Peak Rank 23K Total Count 66 Years Active 🌍 ## 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 ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaia%5F%28name%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaia%5F%28name%29) ### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name) * Norwegian * Estonian 📖 ## The Story of Kaia The earliest SSA record of Kaia as a baby girl name dates back to 1955, when 5 babies received it. 2026 was its biggest year on record, with 1,812 newborns named Kaia — #166 in the national rankings. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 46% of all recorded Kaias. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #166 among baby girl names 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 ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🔗 ## Variants & Related Forms of Kaia Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Kaia. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Cathrine](/cathrine) * Catrine * [Ina](/ina) * [Kadi](/kadi) * [Kadri](/kadri) * [Kai](/kai) * Kaidi * [Kaie](/kaie) * [Kaisa](/kaisa) * [Kaja](/kaja) * [Kari](/kari) * Katariina * [Katarina](/katarina) * [Katharina](/katharina) * [Kathrine](/kathrine) * [Kati](/kati) * Kätlin * [Katrin](/katrin) * [Katrine](/katrine) * Riin * [Riina](/riina) * Triin * Triinu 🎶 ## 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. * [Kiah](/kiah) * [Caia](/caia) * Cuya * [Coa](/coa) * [Chua](/chua) * [Koa](/koa) * [Caio](/caio) * [Caya](/caya) * Cowa * [Khia](/khia) * [Koya](/koya) * Coyo Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Kaia What does the name Kaia mean? 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: What is the origin of the name Kaia? Kaia has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Norwegian, Estonian. How popular is Kaia in 2026? In 2026, Kaia ranks #166 among girls' names in the U.S., with 1,812 babies given the name that year. When was Kaia most popular? Kaia reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #166 that year with 1,812 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Kaia most popular? Kaia has historically been most popular in Hawaii, Alaska, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Kaia. Is Kaia a unisex name? In U.S. Social Security records, Kaia is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name. What names go well with Kaia? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kaia include Abbie, Leola, Kimberley. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. What are nicknames or variants of Kaia? Common variants and related forms of Kaia include Cathrine, Catrine, Ina, Kadi, Kadri, Kai. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms. ## Similar Names [👧AbbiePeak #166](/abbie)[👧LeolaPeak #166](/leola)[👧KimberleyPeak #166](/kimberley)[👧MathildaPeak #167](/mathilda)[👧HannaPeak #165](/hanna)[👧DixiePeak #167](/dixie)[👧LorenePeak #167](/lorene)[👧MarianaPeak #165](/mariana) ## 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 → ](/year/2026) * [ Names of the 2020s → ](/decade/2020s) * [ Names starting with "K" → ](/letter/k) * [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). 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.