Cai

Cai - A very unique male name

Cai appeared on the charts for the first time in 2007 on position #3922. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Cai and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Cai? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Cai. The baby boy name Cai was given to 25 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2238 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 58,651 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Cai peaked in popularity 5 years ago in 2021 on position 1686.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Cai, 1-5?

Cai is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Cai is currently topping the baby name charts in Indiana at position #868 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,117.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Cai is where you live.

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Cai origin and meaning

Multiple origins — Welsh, Chinese and modern shortening

Uncertain — Welsh Cai is the Welsh form of Sir Kay; Cai is also a Chinese surname; in recent use it may simply shorten Kai

Cai sits at a crossroads: it is the Welsh name of Arthur's foster-brother, a Chinese family name, and a modern one-syllable coinage beside Kai. Which source a family intends cannot be told from the name alone, and recent American use is probably mixed.

Origin uncertain

Cai is a 3 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Cai, pop culture references for the name Cai and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Cai

We've found the following names that sound similar to Cai, sorted by popularity.

Chase / Casey / Cash / Chuck / Coy / Case / Chaz / Cassius / Chace / Caius /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Cai

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Cai a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Cai?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

KY · /kaɪ/

Around the world

• Cai (Welsh) — The Welsh Arthurian form

Spellings and nicknames

• Kai — The more common similar name — a different name
• Kay — The English Arthurian form

Famous bearers

• Cai — Welsh form of Arthur's foster-brother Sir Kay in Arthurian legend (Fictional, medieval) Fictional

Style

InternationalLiterary

Why parents choose it

Cai is one syllable with several possible passports; its appeal is its brevity and its quiet Arthurian echo.

Worth knowing

• Constantly assumed to be Kai misspelled