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.
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), a political theorist and socialist, and Karl Jaspers (1883-1969), an existentialist and psychiatrist.
Karolina f Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Hungarian, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian, Ukrainian, Russian, Lithuanian, GermanFeminine form of
Carolus.
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.
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.
Kjellaug f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Ketillaug, derived from the elements
ketill meaning "kettle" and
laug possibly meaning "vowed, promised, bound in oath".
Kjellfrid f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Ketilríðr, derived from the elements
ketill meaning "kettle" and
fríðr meaning "beautiful, beloved".
Knut m Swedish, Norwegian, GermanDerived from Old Norse
knútr meaning
"knot". Knut was a Danish prince who defeated
Æðelræd II, king of England, in the early 11th century and became the ruler of Denmark, Norway and England.
Kristina f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Russian, German, Slovene, Czech, Lithuanian, Serbian, Croatian, Albanian, Faroese, English, BulgarianForm of
Christina in several languages. It is also an English variant of
Christina and a Bulgarian variant of
Hristina.