KADEK m & f Indonesian, 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 which 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.
KAILASH m Indian, Hindi, MarathiFrom the name of a mountain in the Himalayas which 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".
KALEO m HawaiianMeans "sound, voice" from Hawaiian
ka "the" and
leo "sound, voice".
KALEVA m FinnishFrom 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 Kalevi".
KALI 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 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
καλλος (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
καλος Ιωαννης (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.
KAMAL (2) m Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliModern masculine form of
KAMALA.
KAMALA f & m Hinduism, Tamil, Indian, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, NepaliMeans "lotus" or "pale red" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form
कमला and the masculine form
कमल. This is the name of one of the Krittikas, or Pleiades, in 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".
KAMEN m BulgarianMeans "stone" in Bulgarian. This is a translation of the Greek name
Petros.
KAORU f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
薫 (kaoru) meaning "fragrant", as well as other kanji having the same reading.
KAPILA m HinduismMeans "reddish brown" in Sanskrit, derived from
कपि (kapi) "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".
KAREEM m ArabicVariant transcription of
KARIM. A famous bearer of this name is basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1947-).
KARIM m Arabic, PersianMeans "generous, noble" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الكريم (al-Karim) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
KARL m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Finnish, Ancient GermanicGerman and Scandinavian form of
CHARLES. This was the name of seven emperors of the Holy Roman Empire and an emperor of Austria, as well as kings of Sweden and Norway. Other famous bearers include Karl Marx (1818-1883), the German philosopher and revolutionary who laid the foundations for communism, and Karl Jaspers (1883-1969), a German existentialist philosopher.
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 (krittika), the name for the constellation of the Pleiades, ultimately from
कृत् (krit) 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 which are pronounced the same way.
KATSU m JapaneseFrom Japanese
勝 (katsu) meaning "victory", as well as other kanji having the same pronunciation.
KATSUO m JapaneseFrom Japanese
勝 (katsu) meaning "victory" and
雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly". Other combinations of kanji are also possible.
KATSUROU m JapaneseFrom Japanese
勝 (katsu) meaning "victory" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". Different kanji characters can combine to form this name as well.
KAUI f & m HawaiianMeans "the youthful one" from Hawaiian
ka, a definite article, and
u'i "youth, beauty".
KAURI m MaoriFrom the name of a type of tree found in New Zealand (species Agathis australis).
KAVEH m Persian, Persian MythologyPossibly means "royal" in Avestan. In Persian mythology Kaveh is a blacksmith who leads a rebellion against the evil ruler Zahhak.
KAVI m Indian, HindiFrom a title for a a poet, meaning "wise man, sage, poet" in Sanskrit.
KAWEHI f & m HawaiianMeans "the adornment" from Hawaiian
ka, a definite article, and
wehi "adornment".
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.
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.
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.
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".
KEANU m & f HawaiianMeans "the cool breeze" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
anu "coolness".
KEATON m English (Modern)From a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "shed town" in Old English.
KEEGAN m Irish, EnglishFrom an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of the Gaelic
Mac Aodhagáin, which means "descendant of Aodhagán". The given name
Aodhagán is a double diminutive of
AODH.
KEES m DutchDutch diminutive of
CORNELIUS. A notable bearer was the Dutch painter Kees van Dongen (1877-1968).
KEITH m English, ScottishFrom a Scottish surname which was originally derived from a place name, itself probably derived from the Brythonic element
cet 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.
KEKOA m HawaiianMeans "the warrior" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
koa "warrior, koa tree".
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).
KELSEY f & m EnglishFrom an English surname which 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 which are pronounced the same way.
KENAN 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 a surname which comes from the name of the city of Kendale in northwest England meaning "valley on the river Kent".
KENDRICK m EnglishFrom a surname which 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".
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
研 (ken) meaning "study, sharpen" and
二 (ji) meaning "two", as well as other combinations of kanji characters.
KENNEDY f & m English, IrishFrom an irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Cinnéidigh meaning "descendant of
CENNÉTIG". The name is often given in honour of assassinated American president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963).
KENNETH m Scottish, English, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishAnglicized 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 Sir Walter Scott, who used it for the hero in his novel 'The Talisman' (1825). 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 which 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", as well as other kanji combinations having the same pronunciation.
KENTIGERN m ScottishPossibly means "chief lord" in Gaelic. This was the name of a 6th-century saint from Glasgow.
KENTON m EnglishFrom a surname which was derived from an English place name meaning either "town on the River Kenn" or "royal town" in Old English.
KENYON m EnglishFrom a surname which was derived from an English place name, of uncertain meaning.
KEONE m & f HawaiianMeans "the homeland" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
one "sand, homeland".
KERMIT m EnglishFrom a Manx surname, a variant of the Irish surname
MacDermott meaning "son of
DIARMAID". Theodore Roosevelt used it for one of his sons. The name is now associated with Kermit the Frog, one of the Muppets created by puppeteer Jim Henson.
KERR m Scottish, English (Rare)From a Scottish surname which was derived from a place name meaning "rough wet ground" in Old Norse.
KERRY m & f EnglishFrom the name of the Irish county, called
Ciarraí in Irish Gaelic, which means "
CIAR's people".
KĘSTUTIS m LithuanianMeans "to cope" in Lithuanian. This was the name of a 14th-century ruler of Lithuania.
KETIL m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Ketill meaning "kettle, cauldron" (later also acquiring the meaning "helmet"). In old Scandinavian rituals the
ketill was used to catch the blood of sacrificed animals.
KETUT m & f Indonesian, BalinesePossibly from a Balinese word meaning "small banana". This name is traditionally given to the fourth child.
KEVIN m English, Irish, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishAnglicized form of the Irish name
Caoimhín, derived from the older Irish
Cóemgein, composed of the Old Irish elements
cóem "kind, gentle, handsome" and
gein "birth". Saint Caoimhín established a monastery in Glendalough, Ireland in the 6th century and is the patron saint of Dublin. It became popular in the English-speaking world outside of Ireland in the 20th century.
KHALID m ArabicMeans "eternal", derived from Arabic
خلد (khalada) "to last forever". This name was borne by a 7th-century Islamic military leader, Khalid ibn-al-Walid.
KHALIFA m ArabicMeans "successor, caliph" in Arabic. The title
caliph was given to the successors of the Prophet
Muhammad, originally elected by the Islamic populace.
KHALIQ m ArabicMeans "creator" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الخليق (al-Khaliq) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
KHAN m Urdu, PashtoFrom a title meaning "king, ruler". Its origin is Mongolian, though the word has been transmitted into many other languages.
KHANPASHA m ChechenDerived from the Turkic title
Khan which means "ruler, leader" combined with the high Ottoman military rank
pasha.
KHAYYAM m ArabicMeans "tent maker" in Arabic. This was the surname of the 12th-century Persian poet Omar Khayyam.
KHURSHID m & f Persian, Urdu, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
Hvare Khshaeta meaning "shining sun". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata (or angel) who was associated with the sun.
KHWAJA m PersianFrom a title meaning "master, owner" in Persian. It is not generally used as a name itself.
KICHIROU m JapaneseFrom Japanese
吉 (kichi) meaning "good luck" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
KIM (1) f & m EnglishAt the present it is usually considered a short form of
KIMBERLY, but it in fact predates it as a given name. The author Rudyard Kipling used it for the title hero of his novel 'Kim' (1901), though in this case it was short for
KIMBALL. In her novel 'Show Boat' (1926) Edna Ferber used it for a female character who was born on the Mississippi River and was named from the initials of the states Kentucky, Illinois and Mississippi. The name was popularized in America by the actresses Kim Hunter (1922-2002) and Kim Novak (1933-), both of whom assumed it as a stage name.
KING m EnglishFrom a nickname which derives from the English word
king, ultimately from Old English
cyning.
KINGSLEY m English (Modern)From a surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "king's wood" in Old English.
KINGSTON m English (Modern)From a surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "king's town" in Old English.
KIP m EnglishFrom a nickname, probably from the English word
kipper meaning "male salmon".
KIPLING m English (Rare)From an English surname which was from a place name meaning "Cybbel's cottage". The surname was borne by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), a British novelist born in India who wrote 'The Jungle Book' and other works.
KIRBY m EnglishFrom an English surname which was originally from a place name meaning "church settlement" in Old Norse.
KIRK m EnglishFrom an English and Scottish surname meaning "church" from Old Norse
kirkja, ultimately from Greek. A famous bearer was American actor Kirk Douglas (1916-), whose birth name was Issur Danielovitch.