Total births
70,232
Unisex name · since 1926
Kai
70,232 babies named Kai in U.S. Social Security records since 1926, with the highest year being 2022. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #76
- among boys today
- 70,232
- born since 1926
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 99.5%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Kai is the #76 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 70,232 recorded since 1926.
Kai has 70,232 recorded births among boys since 1926, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #76 as of the latest data, more common than 99.5% of boys, busiest in the 2020s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1926 to 2025.
- #76 among boys today
- 70,232 born since 1926
- 2020s peak decade
- 99.5% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kai is currently the #76 unisex name in America, more common than 99.5% of boys - 70,232 born since 1926, peaking in the 2020s.
- #76
- among boys today
- 70,232
- born since 1926
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 99.5%
- more common than other boys
Kai vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#76
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.5% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
38% of everyone ever named Kai was born in this single decade.
2022
Single peak year
5,374 babies were named Kai in 2022 - its busiest year on record.
How Kai compares
70,232 Top 3% higher than 97% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Kai's all-time total is 191x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kai | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 70,232 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 5,374 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kai's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kai's SSA record in two at 1986 and the more recent half accounts for 98% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 2%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1944, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2022 peak of 5,374, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kai at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
2022
Current rank
#76
Active since
1926
Kai popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1926–2025
- Peak year (2022)
- 5,374
- Annual births at peak, across 100 years of records
Kai popularity over time - girls
8,478 total births recorded since 1953 (Kai as girls' name)
Kai by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Kai's strongest decade.
26,927 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Kai births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 6
1920s
6 births
- 1930s 6
1930s
6 births
- 1940s 10
1940s
10 births
- 1950s 148
1950s
148 births
- 1960s 341
1960s
341 births
- 1970s 592
1970s
592 births
- 1980s 958
1980s
958 births
- 1990s 2,640
1990s
2,640 births
- 2000s
2000s
12,620 births
- 2010s
2010s
25,984 births
- 2020s
2020s
26,927 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 26,927 births (38% of all-time use).
How Kai compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Kai's total volume
Kai vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kai by state
Where Kai concentrates geographically, total births since 1926
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 12,155 | 17.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 5,431 | 7.7% |
| #3 | Florida | | 5,417 | 7.7% |
| #4 | New York | | 3,860 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Washington | | 2,453 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 2,064 | 2.9% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 2,050 | 2.9% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 1,913 | 2.7% |
California share of Kai's total US births 17.3%
Even split
12,155 of 70,232 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Kai appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kai? ▼
Kai has been given to 70,232 babies in the U.S. since 1926, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #76 as of the latest data. 5,374 babies were born in 2022, its single highest year.
When was Kai most popular? ▼
Kai was most popular in the 2020s decade with 26,927 total births. The single peak year was 2022.
Where is Kai most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kai are California (12,155 births), Texas (5,431 births), Florida (5,417 births).
Is Kai a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Kai is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 70,232 births, and as a girl's name it has 8,478 births.
How long has the name Kai been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kai since 1926 -- 100 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Kai? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kaiden, Kairo, Kaison, Kaiser, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kai's data
- California records the most Kais (12,155 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kai
Nearby Names Like Kai
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kai
Kaiden Boy
#208 52,562 births
Kairo Boy
#238 11,224 births
Kaison Boy
#515 7,182 births
Kaiser Boy
#801 3,921 births
Kain Boy
#1580 3,750 births
Compare Kai side by side: Kai vs Kaiden Kai vs Kairo Kai vs Kaison
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kai
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1926–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kai: #76 Unisex Name - 70,232 Births, Peak 2022." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kai. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Kai draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.