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".
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 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.
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. 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".
Kamen m BulgarianMeans
"stone" in Bulgarian. This is a translation of the Greek name
Πέτρος (Petros).
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
"generosity, nobleness" 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).
Karim m Arabic, PersianMeans
"generous, noble" in Arabic, from the root
كَرُمَ (karuma) meaning "to be generous". In Islamic tradition
الكريم (al-Karim) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Karl m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Finnish, Estonian, 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 that are pronounced the same way.
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.
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).
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 poet, meaning
"wise man, sage, poet" in Sanskrit.
Kawehi f & m HawaiianMeans
"the adornment" from Hawaiian
ka, a definite article, and
wehi "adornment".
K'awiil m Mayan MythologyMeans
"powerful" in Mayan. This is the name of the Maya god of lightning. He was sometimes depicted with one of his legs taking the form of a serpent.
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.
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-).
Keaton m English (Modern)From a surname that 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
Cornelis. A notable bearer was the Dutch painter Kees van Dongen (1877-1968).
Kei m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
慧 (kei) meaning "intelligent",
圭 (kei) meaning "gemstone" or
慶 (kei) meaning "congratulate". This name can also be formed from other kanji or kanji combinations.
Keijo m FinnishDerived from Finnish
keiju meaning
"elf, fairy".
Keith m English, ScottishFrom a Scottish surname that 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 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 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 that comes from the name of the city of Kendale in northwest England meaning
"valley on the river Kent".
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".
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
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, 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 Sir 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 ScottishPossibly means
"chief lord" in Gaelic. This was the name of a 6th-century saint from 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.
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-).
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.
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, a Muppet created by puppeteer Jim Henson in 1955.
Kerr m Scottish, English (Rare)From a Scottish surname that 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 LithuanianFrom Lithuanian
kęsti meaning
"to cope, to endure" combined with a diminutive suffix. 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 BalinesePossibly from a Balinese word meaning
"small banana". This name is traditionally given to the fourth child.
Kevin m English, Irish, French (Modern), Spanish (Modern), German (Modern), Dutch (Modern), Swedish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern), Danish (Modern)Anglicized form of the Irish name
Caoimhín meaning
"handsome birth", derived from the older
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 middle of the 20th century, and elsewhere in Europe in the late 20th century.
Khafra m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
ḫꜥf-rꜥ meaning
"he appears as Ra". This was the name of the 4th-dynasty Egyptian pharaoh who built the second largest of the pyramids at Giza. He is also known as
Chephren, from the Greek form of his name.
Khalid m ArabicMeans
"eternal", derived from Arabic
خلد (khalada) meaning "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.
Khamphet m & f LaoFrom Lao
ຄຳ (kham) meaning "gold" and
ເພັດ (phet) meaning "diamond, gem".
Khan m Urdu, PashtoFrom a title meaning
"king, ruler". Its origin is probably Mongolian, though the word has been transmitted into many other languages.
Khanpasha m ChechenDerived from the Turkic title
Khan meaning "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.
Khnum m Egyptian MythologyFrom Egyptian
ẖnmw (reconstructed as
Khenmu or
Khnemu), derived from
ẖnm meaning
"to unite". This was the name of an early Egyptian god associated with fertility, water and the Nile. He was often depicted as a man with the head of a ram, sometimes with a potter's wheel.
Khodadad m PersianMeans
"God given" from Persian
خدا (khoda) meaning "god, lord" and
داد (dad) meaning "gave".
Khufu m Ancient EgyptianShortened form of the longer Egyptian name
Khnum-Khufu. This was the name of an Egyptian pharaoh of the 4th dynasty, the builder of the largest of the pyramids. He used both the full and shortened versions of his name in his lifetime, and is also known to history by the Greek form of his name
Cheops.
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.
Kian 1 m PersianMeans
"king, foundation, symbol of pride" in Persian.
Kichirō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
吉 (kichi) meaning "good luck" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". Other kanji combinations are also possible.