Kai (name)

Infobox Given Name Revised
name = Kai


imagesize=
caption=
pronunciation= Kye
gender = Male & Female
meaning = various
region =
origin = various
related names = Kyle, Kaj
footnotes =

The name Kai (pronEng|ˈkaɪ) has various origins in completely different cultures:

* Kai is a Polynesian, Japanese, and Hawaiian word/name. In Japanese it can have the meaning "big water", "the ocean", "the sea"; "Makai" in an unknown language, possibly false, means "towards big water". In the Maori language of New Zealand Kai means 'food', or the verb 'eat' or 'feed'.
* Kai is a rare Chinese family name. The Chinese character is "开", which has a lot of different meanings. The most common meaning is "open".
* Kai is a Chinese given name, which can be one of several characters. The most common one, "凱"， means triumphant.
* In Welsh and Scandinavian cultures, Kai means "keeper of the keys; earth".
* Kai is a Hmong male name that is sometimes spelled "Kha".
* In Burmese, Kai means "strong", or "unbreakable".
* In Japanese, Kai has several meanings, including "change" or "the action to correct", "mediation" or "concerning oneself with", as well as "sea" (the last definition possibly derived from Polynesian languages).
* Kai in the Navajo language means "willow tree".
* In Estonian, Kai is a female name meaning "pier".

According to the 1990 United States Census, Kai is a very rare male first name. In Northern Ireland, data indicated that "Kai" experienced a significant rise in popularity as a male give name from 2002 to 2003. While it is typically a male given name, in recent years it has become popular among females as well. [cite press release
title = Jack and Emma were the most popular first names in Northern Ireland in 2003
publisher = Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
date = 2004-01-02 | accessdate = 2008-02-14
url = http://www.groni.gov.uk/Publication/512004111434.pdf | format = PDF
quote = Kai has risen from rank 156 in 2002 to rank 94 in 2003....]

Given name

* Kai, high priest to Pharaoh Khufu in ancient Egypt
* Kai Budde, a famous player of the card game "Magic: The Gathering"
* Kai Hansen, heavy metal vocalist and guitarist for Helloween, Iron Saviour, and Gamma Ray
* Kai Krause, a pioneer in the field of computer applications
* Kai Mosaker, aka Trym Torson, drummer of Scandinavian extreme metal bands Emperor and Zyklon
* Kai Pflaume, German Reality TV Show Host
* Kai Ryssdal, radio journalist
* Kai Stephens, British musician; member of the indie band Hard-Fi
* Kai Wiesinger, German actor
* Kai Winding, jazz trombonist
* Kai Wong, actor, producer, singer

Kai De La Garza