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.
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.
Kalliope f Greek MythologyMeans
"beautiful voice" from Greek
κάλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty" and
ὄψ (ops) meaning "voice". In Greek mythology she was a goddess of epic poetry and eloquence, one of the nine Muses.
Kallisto f Greek Mythology, Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
κάλλιστος (kallistos) meaning
"most beautiful", a derivative of
καλός (kalos) meaning "beautiful". In Greek mythology Kallisto was a nymph who was loved by
Zeus. She was changed into a she-bear by
Hera, and subsequently became the Great Bear constellation. This was also an ancient Greek personal name.
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.
Kalyna f Ukrainian (Rare)From the Ukrainian word for a type of shrub, also called the guelder rose (species Viburnum opulus).
Kamalani f & m HawaiianMeans
"heavenly child" or
"royal child" from Hawaiian
kama "child" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Kamaria f ComorianFrom Arabic
qamar meaning
"moon", also the root of the name of the island country of the Comoros.
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).
Kanako f JapaneseFrom Japanese
加 (ka) meaning "increase" or
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance" combined with
奈 (na), a phonetic character, or
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" and finished with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.
Kanani f HawaiianMeans
"the beauty" from Hawaiian
ka "the" and
nani "beauty, glory".
Kandaĵa f EsperantoMeans
"made of candy" in Esperanto, a derivative of
kando meaning "candy, rock sugar".
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.
Kaniehtiio f MohawkMeans
"she is good snow" in Mohawk, from
ka- "she",
óniehte "snow" and the suffix
-iio "good".
Kanna f JapaneseFrom Japanese
栞 (kan) meaning "bookmark" and
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.
Kanon f JapaneseFrom Japanese
花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" and
音 (non) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
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.
Kaori f JapaneseFrom Japanese
香 (kaori) meaning "fragrance". It can also come from an alternate reading of
香 (ka) combined with
織 (ori) meaning "weaving". Other kanji combinations are possible. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.
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".
Kára f Norse MythologyProbably from Old Norse
kárr meaning
"curly, curved". In Norse legend this was the name of a valkyrie.
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.
Kashi f HindiFrom the name of a holy city in India, famous for its many temples dedicated to the Hindu god
Shiva. Its name is derived from Sanskrit
काशि (kashi) meaning "shining".
Kasumi f JapaneseFrom Japanese
霞 (kasumi) meaning "mist". It can also come from
花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" combined with
澄 (sumi) meaning "clear, pure". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Katashi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
堅 (katashi) meaning "hard, firm" or other kanji and kanji combinations that are pronounced the same way.
Katida f EsperantoFrom Esperanto
katido meaning
"kitten", ultimately from Latin
cattus.
Katina f Greek, Macedonian, BulgarianGreek contracted form of
Katerina. This name had a spike in popularity in America in 1972 when it was used for a newborn baby on the soap opera
Where the Heart Is.
Katniss f LiteratureFrom the English word
katniss, the name of a variety of edible aquatic flowering plants (genus Sagittaria). Katniss Everdeen is the protagonist of
The Hunger Games series of novels by Suzanne Collins, released 2008 to 2010, about a young woman forced to participate in a violent televised battle.
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.
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.
Katyusha f RussianDiminutive of
Yekaterina. This is the name of a 1938 Soviet song, which became popular during World War II.
Kauʻi f & m HawaiianMeans
"the youthful one" from Hawaiian
ka, a definite article, and
uʻi "youth, beauty".
Kaur f Indian (Sikh)Means
"princess", ultimately from Sanskrit
कुमारी (kumari) meaning "girl". This surname was assigned to all female Sikhs in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh. It is now used as a surname or a middle name by most female Sikhs. The male equivalent is
Singh.
Kausalya f HinduismMeans
"of the Kosala people" in Sanskrit. Kosala was an ancient Indian kingdom that was at its most powerful in the 6th century BC. In Hindu legend Kausalya is the name of the mother of the hero
Rama.
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.
Kaveri f HindiFrom the name of the Kaveri River in southern India.
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.
Kazue f JapaneseFrom Japanese
和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" or
一 (kazu) meaning "one" combined with
枝 (e) meaning "branch" or
恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other combinations of kanji characters can potentially 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.
Kazuko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
一 (kazu) meaning "one" or
和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can also be formed from other kanji combinations.
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.
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".
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.
Kefilwe m & f TswanaMeans
"I was given" in Tswana, derived from
filwe "given".
Keighley f English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from an English place name, ultimately meaning
"clearing belonging to Cyhha". The Old English given name
Cyhha is of unknown meaning. This name also serves as a variant of
Kaylee.
Kekoa m HawaiianMeans
"the warrior" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
koa "warrior, koa tree".
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.
Kenaniah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh establishes" in Hebrew. This was the name of two minor Old Testament characters.
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.
Kenshin m JapaneseFrom Japanese
謙 (ken) meaning "humble, modest" and
信 (shin) meaning "trust, believe". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
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.
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.
Kenya f English, African AmericanFrom the name of the African country. The country is named for Mount Kenya, which in the Kikuyu language is called
Kĩrĩnyaga meaning "the one having stripes". It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 1960s.
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).
Keren-Happuch f BiblicalMeans
"horn of antimony" in Hebrew. Antimony is a substance that was formerly used as an eye cosmetic (eye shadow). A hollowed animal horn could have been used to store this material. Keren-Happuch is the name of the third daughter of
Job in the Old Testament.
Kermit m EnglishFrom a rare (Americanized) Manx surname, a variant of the Irish surname
Mac Diarmada, itself derived from the given name
Diarmaid. This was the name of a son of Theodore Roosevelt born in 1889. He was named after a relative of his mother, Robert Kermit. The name is now associated with Kermit the Frog, a Muppet created by puppeteer Jim Henson in 1955.
Kerr m ScottishFrom a Scots surname that was derived from a word meaning
"thicket, marsh", ultimately from Old Norse
kjarr.
Kestrel f English (Rare)From the name of the bird of prey, ultimately derived from Old French
crecelle "rattle", which refers to the sound of its cry.
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.
Keziah f BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
קְצִיעָה (Qetzi'ah) meaning
"cassia, cinnamon", from the name of the spice tree. In the Old Testament she is a daughter of
Job.
Khadija f ArabicMeans
"premature child" in Arabic. This was the name of the Prophet
Muhammad's first wife and the mother of all of his children, with the exception of one. She was a wealthy merchant and a widow when they married in the year 595. Muhammad received his first revelation 15 years after their marriage, and she was the first person to convert to Islam.
Khaleesi f LiteratureFrom a title used in the George R. R. Martin book series
A Song of Ice and Fire (first published 1996) and the television adaptation
Game of Thrones (2011-2019). It is a feminine form of the Dothraki title
khal meaning "warlord". In the series
Daenerys Targaryen gains this title after she marries Khal Drogo.
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.
Khayyam m ArabicMeans
"tent maker" in Arabic. This was the surname of the 12th-century Persian poet Umar Khayyam.
Khodadad m PersianMeans
"God given" from Persian
خدا (khoda) meaning "god, lord" and
داد (dad) meaning "gave".
Khordad f & m Persian MythologyModern Persian form of
Haurvatat. From the Middle Persian era, this deity was often considered masculine. The third month of the Iranian calendar is named for her.
Khulan f MongolianMeans
"onager, wild donkey" in Mongolian. This was the name of a wife of Genghis Khan.
Khushi f HindiMeans
"happiness" in Hindi, ultimately from Persian
خوشی (khushi).
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.
Kielo f FinnishMeans
"lily of the valley" in Finnish (species Convallaria majalis).
Kimiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
貴 (ki) meaning "valuable" with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or
君 (kimi) meaning "lord, noble" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Kincső f HungarianDerived from Hungarian
kincs meaning
"treasure". This name was created by Hungarian author Mór Jókai in
The Novel of the Next Century (1872).
King m EnglishFrom the English vocabulary word
king, ultimately derived from Old English
cyning. This was also a surname, derived from the same source, a famous bearer being the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).
Kingsley m English (Modern)From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"king's wood" in Old English. This name may have received a boost in popularity after the release of the 2007 movie
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, featuring the character Kingsley Shacklebolt.
Kinneret f HebrewFrom the name of a large lake in northern Israel, usually called the Sea of Galilee in English. Its name is derived from Hebrew
כִּנּוֹר (kinnor) meaning "harp" because of its shape.
Kinsey f English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from the given name
Cynesige. This name is borne by Kinsey Millhone, the heroine in a series of mystery novels by author Sue Grafton, beginning in 1982.
Kip m EnglishFrom a nickname, probably from the English word
kipper meaning
"male salmon".
Kipling m English (Rare)From an English surname that was from a place name meaning
"Cyppel's people". 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 & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"church settlement" in Old Norse. This name briefly spiked in popularity for American girls in 1982 after the character Kirby Anders Colby was introduced to the soap opera
Dynasty.
Kisecawchuck m Cree (Anglicized)From Cree
ᑮᓯᑳᐊᐧᒑᕁ (Kîsikâawcâhk) meaning
"day star", derived from
ᑮᓯᑳᐤ (kîsikâw) "day" and
ᐊᑖᕁ (atâhk) "star". This was the name of a 19th-century Plains Cree chief in Saskatchewan.
Kiyoko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
清 (kiyo) meaning "clear, pure, clean" or
聖 (kiyo) meaning "holy" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Kizzy f EnglishDiminutive of
Keziah. This particular spelling was repopularized in the late 1970s by a character in the book and miniseries
Roots (1977).
Kjellfrid f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Ketilríðr, derived from the elements
ketill meaning "kettle" and
fríðr meaning "beautiful, beloved".