Kaija
Kaija is a contemporary feminine personal name thought to have arisen as a Finnic variant of the name Katrin, or alternatively from Katariina.
Meaning & Origin of Kaija
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kaija is a contemporary feminine personal name thought to have arisen as a Finnic variant of the name Katrin, or alternatively from Katariina.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Kaija
The earliest SSA record of Kaija as a baby girl name dates back to 1967, when 5 babies received it. 2002 was its biggest year on record, with 49 newborns named Kaija — #2,976 in the national rankings. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 34% of all recorded Kaijas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #5,780 among baby girl names with 21 births, holding steady (+4%). In total, more than 1K Kaijas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kaija
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kaija 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 Kaija
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About the name Kaija
Kaija is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1967 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Kaija's peak popularity came in 2002 when it ranked #2,963. Use the chart and map above to compare Kaija's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2002 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- 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.