Kai

Definition

Kai is a name with a multitude of origins. The oldest is from Caius or Gaius, a Roman first name which comes from the Latin gaudere ("to rejoice"). The name seems to have passed into use among native Britons during the Roman occupation, for it is the source of Sir Kay or Kai, King Arthur's foster-brother and steward in the legends. His is one of the earliest names associated with King Arthur and it is still used in Wales in the forms Cai, Caio and Caw. There is also a German name Kai which either comes from Caius as well, or else is a form of Gerhard, the German form of GerardGerald.

This is the probably source of the name usually printed as Kay in Hans Christian Andersen's story The Snow Queen (see also Gerda). There is also a Swedish girl's name Kai, which like Kay, is a pet form of Katherine. Finally there is a Hawaiian name Kai, which can be used for both girls and boys, which means "sea". When Kai became a fashionable name in the late Seventies, it was probably from this source. However, it should be pointed out that Kai has also been used extensively in recent fantasy contexts from computer games to Star Trek. Wikipedia lists 10 fictional Kais from fantasy contexts. This is an unusually high number, and it may be that these uses have helped spread the name.Kai had moved into the top hundred names in Scotland and England by the beginning of the twenty-first century, and is also in that category in Australia. It is not quite so popular in the USA, but is rising and has been used there longer. The feminine name Kaia or Kya is probably based on it. See also Kay

Sex

Girls

Similar names

Cai, Caio, Caius, Caw, Gaius, Gerhard, Kya

Naming Your Baby
Copyright © 2007 Julia Cresswell