Kadek m & f BalinesePossibly from Balinese
adik meaning
"younger sibling". This name is traditionally given to the second-born child.
Kaede f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
楓 (kaede) meaning "maple" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Kağan m TurkishFrom a Turkish title meaning
"king, ruler", ultimately of Mongolian origin. The title is usually translated into English as
Khan.
Kahurangi f & m MaoriFrom the name of a type of green gemstone found in New Zealand, meaning
"sky blue" in Maori.
Kai 1 m Frisian, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Dutch, EnglishMeaning uncertain, possibly a Frisian diminutive of
Gerhard,
Nicolaas,
Cornelis or
Gaius. It is borne by a boy captured by the Snow Queen in an 1844 fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Spreading from Germany and Scandinavia, this name became popular in the English-speaking world and other places in Western Europe around the end of the 20th century.
Kai 4 m ChineseFrom Chinese
凯 (kǎi) meaning "triumph, victory, music of triumph", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.
Kailash m Hindi, MarathiFrom the name of a mountain in the Himalayas that is believed to be the paradise of the Hindu god
Shiva. It possibly means "crystal" in Sanskrit.
Kaimana m & f HawaiianFrom Hawaiian
kai "ocean, sea" and
mana "power". It is also Hawaiian meaning "diamond", derived from the English word
diamond.
Kaipo m & f HawaiianMeans
"the sweetheart" from Hawaiian
ka, a definite article, and
ipo "sweetheart".
Kaiser m VariousGerman form of the Roman title
Caesar (see
Caesar). It is not used as a given name in Germany itself.
Kaito m JapaneseFrom Japanese
海 (kai) meaning "sea, ocean" combined with
斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, or
翔 (to) meaning "soar, fly". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Kalani m & f HawaiianMeans
"the heavens" from Hawaiian
ka "the" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Kalei m & f HawaiianMeans
"the flowers" or
"the child" from Hawaiian
ka "the" and
lei "flowers, lei, child".
Kal-El m Popular Culture, English (Modern)Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938 as the birth name of the comic book hero Superman, who came from the distant planet Krypton. The original spelling
Kal-L was changed to
Kal-El in the 1940s. Some have theorized that
El is inspired by the common Hebrew name element
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Although Siegel and Shuster were Jewish, there is no evidence that they had this connection in mind, and it seems possible they simply made it up. Superman's other name, Clark Kent, was given to him by his adoptive parents.
... [more] Kaleo m HawaiianMeans
"sound, voice" from Hawaiian
ka "the" and
leo "sound, voice".
Kalev 1 m EstonianEstonian form of
Kaleva. This is the name of a character (the father of Kalevipoeg) in the Estonian epic poem
Kalevipoeg.
Kaleva m Finnish, Finnish MythologyFrom the name of the mythological ancestor of the Finns, which is of unknown meaning. The name of the Finnish epic the
Kalevala means "the land of Kaleva".
Kali 1 f & m Hinduism, Bengali, TamilMeans
"the black one" in Sanskrit. The Hindu goddess Kali is the fierce destructive form of the wife of
Shiva. She is usually depicted with black skin and four arms, holding a severed head and brandishing a sword. As a personal name, it is generally masculine in India.
Kalidasa m SanskritMeans
"servant of Kali" from the name of the Hindu goddess
Kali 1 combined with Sanskrit
दास (dasa) meaning "servant". This was the name of a 4th-century Indian poet and dramatist, the author of the
Abhijnanashakuntalam.
Kallias m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
κάλλος (kallos) meaning
"beauty". This was the name of an Athenian who fought at Marathon who later became an ambassador to the Persians.
Kálmán m HungarianProbably of Turkic origin, meaning
"remainder". This was the name of a 12th-century king of Hungary. It was also borne in the 13th-century by the first king of Galicia-Volhynia, who was also a member of the Hungarian Árpád royal family. This name has been frequently confused with
Koloman.
Kaloyan m BulgarianFrom Greek
καλός Ἰωάννης (kalos Ioannes) meaning
"handsome John", the nickname of a 13th-century emperor of Bulgaria. He successfully defended the empire from the Fourth Crusade.
Kama m HinduismMeans
"love, desire" in Sanskrit. Kama is the winged Hindu god of love, the son of
Lakshmi.
Kamala f & m Hinduism, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, NepaliMeans
"lotus" or
"pale red" in Sanskrit. In Sanskrit this is a transcription of both the feminine form
कमला and the masculine form
कमल, though in modern languages it is only a feminine form. This is the name of one of the Krittikas, or Pleiades, in the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata. It is also another name of the Hindu goddess
Lakshmi.
Kamalani f & m HawaiianMeans
"heavenly child" or
"royal child" from Hawaiian
kama "child" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Kamau m KikuyuMeaning unknown. This was the birth name of the Kenyan president Jomo Kenyatta (1897-1978).
Kamen m BulgarianMeans
"stone" in Bulgarian. This is a translation of the Greek name
Πέτρος (Petros).
Kanata m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
奏 (kana) meaning "play music, complete" and
多 (ta) meaning "many", as well as other combinations of kanji that have the same pronunciation.
Kaneonuskatew m Cree (Anglicized)Means
"he who walks on four claws" in Cree, derived from
ᓀᐅᐧ (newo) "four" and the root
ᐊᐢᑲᓯᕀ (askasiy) "claw". This was the name of a 19th-century Plains Cree chief in Saskatchewan, also known as George Gordon.
Kanta f & m Hindi, BengaliMeans
"desired, beautiful" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form
कान्ता and the masculine form
कान्त.
Kanye m African American (Modern)Meaning uncertain. It could be from the name of a town in Botswana (of Tswana origin). Yoruba, Igbo, Xhosa and Fula meanings have also been suggested. It is borne by the American rapper Kanye West (1977-), and the name briefly appeared on the United States top 1000 list in 2004 when he released his debut album.
Kaoru f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
薫 (kaoru),
香 (kaoru),
馨 (kaoru) all meaning "fragrance, fragrant", as well as other kanji having the same reading.
Kapila m HinduismMeans
"reddish brown" in Sanskrit, derived from
कपि (kapi) meaning "monkey". In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this is the name of a sage who founded Samkhya philosophy and is identified with the god
Vishnu.
Kapono m HawaiianMeans
"the good one" from Hawaiian
ka, a definite article, and
pono "good, moral".
Kapua f & m HawaiianMeans
"the flower" or
"the child" from Hawaiian
ka, a definite article, and
pua "flower, offspring".
Kara 2 m Ottoman TurkishMeans
"black, dark" in Turkish. This was sometimes used as a byname by Ottoman officials, figuratively meaning "courageous".
Karam m & f ArabicMeans
"nobility, generosity" in Arabic.
Kareem m ArabicAlternate transcription of Arabic
كريم (see
Karim). A famous bearer of this name is basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1947-).
Kari 2 m FinnishForm of
Macarius (see
Macario) used by the Finnish author Juhani Aho in his novel
Panu (1897).
Karl m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, English, Finnish, Estonian, Germanic, Old NorseGerman and Scandinavian form of
Charles. This was the name of seven rulers of the Franks and the Holy Roman Empire. It was also borne by a beatified emperor of Austria (1887-1922), as well as ten kings of Sweden. Other famous bearers include the German philosophers Karl Marx (1818-1883), one of the developers of communism, and Karl Jaspers (1883-1969), an existentialist and psychiatrist.
Karna m HinduismDerived from Sanskrit
कर्ण (karna) meaning
"ear". This is the name of the son of the Hindu sun god Surya and the goddess Kunti, who gave birth to him through her ear. He was a great warrior who joined the Kauravas to fight against his half-brothers the Pandavas, eventually becoming the king of Anga.
Kartikeya m HinduismFrom Sanskrit
कृत्तिका (krttika), the name for the constellation of the Pleiades, ultimately from
कृत् (krt) meaning "to cut, to divide". This is another name for the Hindu god
Skanda.
Katashi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
堅 (katashi) meaning "hard, firm" or other kanji and kanji combinations that are pronounced the same way.
Kato m GandaMeans
"second of twins" in Luganda.
Katsu m JapaneseFrom Japanese
勝 (katsu) meaning "victory", as well as other kanji having the same pronunciation.
Katsuhito m JapaneseFrom Japanese
勝 (katsu) meaning "victory" or
克 (katsu) meaning "overcome" combined with
人 (hito) meaning "person" or
仁 (hito) meaning "compassionate". Other kanji characters can combine to form this name as well.
Katsumi m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
克 (katsu) meaning "overcome" or
勝 (katsu) meaning "victory" combined with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or
己 (mi) meaning "self". Other kanji combinations having the same pronunciation can also form this name.
Katsuo m JapaneseFrom Japanese
勝 (katsu) meaning "victory" and
雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly". Other combinations of kanji are also possible.
Katsurō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
勝 (katsu) meaning "victory" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". Different kanji characters can combine to form this name as well.
Kauʻi f & m HawaiianMeans
"the youthful one" from Hawaiian
ka, a definite article, and
uʻi "youth, beauty".
Kauri m MaoriFrom the name of a type of tree found in New Zealand (species Agathis australis).
Kausar f & m Urdu, KazakhUrdu and Kazakh form of
Kawthar. It is a unisex name in Urdu, but solely feminine in Kazakh.
Kaveh m Persian, Persian MythologyMeaning unknown. In the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh Kaveh is a blacksmith who leads a rebellion against the evil ruler Zahhak.
Kavi m HindiFrom a title for a poet, meaning
"wise man, sage, poet" in Sanskrit.
Kawacatoose m Cree (Anglicized)From Cree
ᑲᐋᐧᐦᑲᑐᐢ (Kawâhkatos) meaning
"poor man, weak from hunger". This was the name of a 19th-century Plains Cree chief in Saskatchewan.
Kawehi f & m HawaiianMeans
"the adornment" from Hawaiian
ka, a definite article, and
wehi "adornment".
K'awil m Mayan MythologyPossibly means
"powerful one" in Classic Maya. This was the name of the Maya god of lightning, generations and corn. He was sometimes depicted with one of his legs taking the form of a serpent. His name was also used as a title for other gods.
Kay 2 m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceFrom the Welsh name
Cai or
Cei, possibly a form of the Roman name
Gaius. Sir Kay was one of the Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He first appears in Welsh tales as a brave companion of Arthur. In later medieval tales, notably those by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, he is portrayed as an unrefined boor.
Kayce m & f English (Modern)Variant of
Casey or
Case (depending on the pronunciation). It was popularized by the character Kayce Dutton (pronounced like Casey) from the television series
Yellowstone (2018-).
Kazuhiko m JapaneseFrom Japanese
和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" or
一 (kazu) meaning "one" combined with
彦 (hiko) meaning "boy, prince". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Kazuki m JapaneseFrom Japanese
一 (kazu) meaning "one" or
和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" combined with
輝 (ki) meaning "brightness",
希 (ki) meaning "hope" or
樹 (ki) meaning "tree", as well as other combinations of kanji characters.
Kazumi f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" or
一 (kazu) meaning "one" combined with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.
Kazuo m JapaneseFrom Japanese
一 (kazu) meaning "one" or
和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" combined with
男 (o) meaning "male, man" or
夫 (o) meaning "husband, man". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Kazuya m JapaneseFrom Japanese
一 (kazu) meaning "one" or
和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" combined with
也 (ya) meaning "to be, also". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.
Kazuyuki m JapaneseFrom Japanese
和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" and
幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness, good luck", as well as other combinations of kanji characters having the same reading.
Keahi f & m HawaiianMeans
"the fire" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
ahi "fire".
Keala f & m HawaiianMeans
"the path" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
ala "path".
Kealoha f & m HawaiianMeans
"the loved one" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
aloha "love".
Keano m Dutch (Modern)Perhaps a variant of
Keanu. It was popularized by a child (born 2004) on the Flemish reality show
De Pfaffs (2002-2011).
Keanu m & f HawaiianMeans
"the cool breeze" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
anu "coolness". This name is now associated with Canadian actor Keanu Reeves (1964-).
Keefe m English (Rare)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Caoimh, derived from the given name or byname
Caomh.
Keegan m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Mac Aodhagáin, which was derived from the given name
Aodhagán, a double diminutive of
Aodh.
Kees m DutchDutch diminutive of
Cornelis. A notable bearer was the Dutch painter Kees van Dongen (1877-1968).
Kefilwe m & f TswanaMeans
"I was given" in Tswana, derived from
filwe "given".
Kehinde m & f YorubaMeans
"comes last" in Yoruba. It is typically given to the second of twins.
Kei m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
慧 (kei) meaning "intelligent",
圭 (kei) meaning "gemstone" or
慶 (kei) meaning "celebration". This name can also be formed from other kanji or kanji combinations.
Keijo m FinnishDerived from Finnish
keiju meaning
"elf, fairy".
Keita 1 m JapaneseFrom Japanese
慶 (kei) meaning "celebration" or
啓 (kei) meaning "open, begin" combined with
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Keith m English, ScottishFrom a Scottish surname that was originally derived from the name of a place in East Lothian, itself possibly derived from the Celtic root *
kayto- meaning
"wood". This was the surname of a long line of Scottish nobles. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, becoming fairly common throughout the English-speaking world in the 20th century.
Kekoa m HawaiianMeans
"the warrior" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
koa "warrior, koa tree".
Kelebogile f & m TswanaMeans
"I am thankful" in Tswana, derived from
leboga "to be thankful, to thank".
Kellan m English (Modern)Variant of
Kellen. This particular spelling jumped in popularity after actor Kellan Lutz (1985-) appeared in the
Twilight series of movies beginning 2008.
Kellen m English (Modern)Possibly from a German surname, itself derived from Middle Low German
kel "swampy area". This name began to be used in the United States in the early 1980s after the American football player Kellen Winslow (1957-) began his professional career.
Kelly m & f Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of the Irish given name
Ceallach or the surname derived from it
Ó Ceallaigh. As a surname, it has been borne by actor and dancer Gene Kelly (1912-1996) and actress and princess Grace Kelly (1929-1982).
... [more] Kelsey f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that is derived from town names in Lincolnshire. It may mean "Cenel's island", from the Old English name
Cenel "fierce" in combination with
eg "island".
Kelvin m EnglishFrom the name of a Scottish river, perhaps meaning
"narrow water". As a title it was borne by the Irish-Scottish physicist William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824-1907), who acquired his title from the river.
Kemal m TurkishTurkish form of
Kamal 1. This was the second name, acquired in his youth, of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), the founder of modern Turkey.
Kemp m English (Rare)From a surname derived from Middle English
kempe meaning
"champion, athlete, warrior".
Ken 2 m JapaneseFrom Japanese
健 (ken) meaning "healthy, strong" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Kenan 1 m BiblicalPossibly means
"possession" in Hebrew. He is a son of
Enosh and a great-grandson of
Adam in the Old Testament.
Kenaniah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh establishes" in Hebrew. This was the name of two minor Old Testament characters.
Kendall m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that comes from the name of the city of Kendale in northwestern England meaning
"valley on the river Kent". Originally mostly masculine, the name received a boost in popularity for girls in 1993 when the devious character Kendall Hart began appearing on the American soap opera
All My Children.
Kende m HungarianFrom the Hungarian royal title
kende or
kündü, which referred to the ceremonial Magyar king (who ruled together with the military leader the
gyula in the period before the Magyars settled in Hungary).
Kendrick m EnglishFrom a surname that has several different origins. It could be from the Old English given names
Cyneric "royal power" or
Cenric "bold power", or from the Welsh name
Cynwrig "chief hero". It can also be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname
Mac Eanraig meaning "son of
Henry".
... [more] Kenelm m English (Rare)From the Old English name
Cenhelm, which was composed of the elements
cene "bold, keen" and
helm "helmet". Saint Kenelm was a 9th-century martyr from Mercia, where he was a member of the royal family. The name was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, but has since become rare.
Ken'ichi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
健 (ken) meaning "healthy, strong" or
研 (ken) meaning "study, sharpen" combined with
一 (ichi) meaning "one". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Kenji m JapaneseFrom Japanese
健 (ken) meaning "healthy, strong" or
研 (ken) meaning "study, sharpen" combined with
二 (ji) meaning "two". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Kennedy f & m English, IrishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Cinnéidigh, itself derived from the given name
Cennétig. The name has sometimes been given in honour of assassinated American president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963). It was popularized as a name for girls by Lisa Kennedy Montgomery (1972-), known simply as Kennedy, the host of the television program
Alternative Nation on MTV from 1992 to 1997.
Kenneth m Scottish, English, Swedish, Danish, NorwegianAnglicized form of both
Coinneach and
Cináed. This name was borne by the Scottish king Kenneth (Cináed) mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. It was popularized outside of Scotland by Walter Scott, who used it for the hero in his 1825 novel
The Talisman. A famous bearer was the British novelist Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932), who wrote
The Wind in the Willows.
Kenshin m JapaneseFrom Japanese
謙 (ken) meaning "humble, modest" and
信 (shin) meaning "trust, believe". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Kent m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from
Kent, the name of a county in England, which may be derived from a Brythonic word meaning "coastal district".
Kenta m JapaneseFrom Japanese
健 (ken) meaning "healthy, strong" and
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great", as well as other kanji combinations having the same pronunciation.
Kentarō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
健 (ken) meaning "healthy, strong",
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
Kentigern m History (Ecclesiastical)From a Brythonic name in which the second element is Celtic *
tigernos "lord, ruler". The first element may be *
kentus "first" or *
kū "dog, hound" (genitive *
kunos). This was the name of a 6th-century saint from the Kingdom of Strathclyde. He is the patron saint of Glasgow.
Kenton m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from an English place name meaning either "town on the River Kenn" or "royal town" in Old English.
Kenyatta m & f African AmericanFrom a surname used by the first president of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta (1897-1978). He adopted the surname in his youth, supposedly from a type of ornamental belt worn by the Maasai people.
Kenyon m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from an English place name, of uncertain meaning.
Kenzo m Japanese, French (Modern)Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
謙三 or
健三 or
賢三 (see
Kenzō). Use of the name in France can probably be attributed to the fashion brand Kenzo, founded in 1970 by the Japanese-French designer Kenzō Takada (1939-2020).
Kenzō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
謙 (ken) meaning "humble",
健 (ken) meaning "healthy, strong" or
賢 (ken) meaning "wise" combined with
三 (zō) meaning "three". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Keola m HawaiianMeans
"the life" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
ola "life, health".
Keone m & f HawaiianMeans
"the homeland" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
one "sand, homeland".