Kye
Kye is a common variant of the names Kai, Kay or Kyle. Kye also occurs, via numerous spellings, in many languages. For example, "sea" in Hawaiian, and "narrow" or "slender" in Celtic.
Meaning & Origin of Kye
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kye is a common variant of the names Kai, Kay or Kyle. Kye also occurs, via numerous spellings, in many languages. For example, "sea" in Hawaiian, and "narrow" or "slender" in Celtic.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Kye
As a girl name
Kye first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1960, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2017: 22 births, good for #5,661 nationwide. About 31% of every Kye on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. Kye last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 340 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Kye first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1956, with 9 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2016: 356 births, good for #693 nationwide. About 39% of every Kye on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Kye ranks #1,200 for boys with 171 births, falling sharply (-28%). All told, over 6K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kye
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kye 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 Kye
What does the name Kye mean?
How popular is Kye in 2026?
When was Kye most popular?
In which U.S. states is Kye most popular?
Is Kye a unisex name?
What names go well with Kye?
About the name Kye
Kye is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1956 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Kye's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #693. Use the chart and map above to compare Kye's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2016 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- 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.