Unisex name · since 1999
Kanai
Since 1999, U.S. Social Security records show 406 babies named Kanai, peaking in 2025. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #8,943 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,223 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 406
- born since 1999
- 2020s
- peak decade
Yes -- Kanai is the #3223 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 406 recorded since 1999.
Kanai has 406 recorded births among boys since 1999, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #3223 as of the latest data, more common than 77% 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 1999 to 2025.
- #8,943 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #3,223 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 406 born since 1999
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kanai ranks #8,943 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,223 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 406 born since 1999, peaking in the 2020s.
- #8,943 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,223 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 406
- born since 1999
- 2020s
- peak decade
Kanai's 406 recorded births place it above 80.32% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Hawaii.
How Kanai compares
406 Top 48% higher than 52% of 13,930 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
Kanai's all-time total is 10% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kanai | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 406 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 37 | 34 | 22,252 |
Kanai's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kanai's SSA record in two at 2013 and the more recent half accounts for 68% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 32%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1999, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2025 peak of 37, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kanai popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1999–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 37
- Annual births at peak, across 27 years of records
Kanai popularity over time - girls
169 total births recorded since 2006 (Kanai as girls' name)
Kanai by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (161 births, 40% of the file).
2020s was Kanai's strongest decade.
161 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Kanai births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
- 2000s
2000s
83 births
- 2010s
2010s
157 births
- 2020s
2020s
161 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 161 births (40% of all-time use).
Kanai by state
Where Kanai concentrates geographically, total births since 1999
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Hawaii | | 71 | 17.5% |
71 of 406 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Kanai's data
- Hawaii records the most Kanais (71 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Hawaii names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kanai
Nearby Names Like Kanai
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kanai
Compare Kanai side by side: Kanai vs Kane Kanai vs Kannon Kanai vs Kanan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kanai
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kanai: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2025)
Similar record span (~26 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1999–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Kanai 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 August 2026.