It seems to me that [name]Kai[/name] has been popping up more and more; it could just be me though. I’m not a fan of the name … in fact, I’ve been in love with the name [name]Tai[/name] for years, and find it more appealing and masculine.
Anyways, I’m just wondering if [name]Kai[/name] is a new “it” name.
I work with children and have met several Kais. The name is NMS, and I like your choice of [name]Tai[/name] much better! While [name]Kai[/name] and [name]Tai[/name] rhyme, I really think they have much different feels to them. I agree that [name]Tai[/name] seems more masculine.
The name [name]Kai[/name] is purely japanese to me, as well as the name [name]Tai[/name]. I think there are other origins of this name but I’m unsure. I wouldn’t recommend this for a child unless they were full or part Japanese. Personally, I really like it. It’s a unisex name, most commonly meaning “sea” or “ocean” in japanese. If you want an alternative to using these as a nickname I would suggest [name]Mordecai[/name] or Mordekai, [name]Kaia[/name], [name]Kyle[/name], [name]Kyra[/name], [name]Kyla[/name], etc.
Yeah, I don’t know what it is, but I have different feelings about each of the names, even though they rhyme and are (basically) from the same origin.
I wasn’t aware this name was Japanese … I know [name]Tai[/name] is, because that’s how I found out about it (anime), but whenever I look up [name]Kai[/name] it says it’s Hawaiian.
[name]Kai[/name] has different heritages - if you click on the name you’ll see it has a few different ones. It’s a pretty “simple” sound so it’s not surprising more than one culture picked up on it. Most of the people I know who used it are actually giving a nod to Scandinavian roots. I think since it’s a multi-cultural name, that it works on almost anyone.
In New Zealand the word ‘[name]Kai[/name]’ means ‘food’ in Maori, the indigenous people of NZ. Maori and Hawaiian are both part of the Oceanic language group. There is also research to show that the Oceanic languages developed out of [name]Asia[/name], perhaps giving us the link to ‘[name]Kai[/name]’ in Japanese. Given the meaning here in New Zealand I could never name a child of mine [name]Kai[/name].
I run into it semi-frequently here in Australia; New Zealanders tend to find it funny. It’s in the top hundred in this Australian state.
Personally I like it as a nickname, but I don’t really feel any drive at all to use it as a full name, as it feels insubstantial on its on. I do like it very much as a NN possibility to casual-ify [name]Malachi[/name] or [name]Mordecai[/name] though.
I know 3 male teenage [name]Kai[/name]'s and a female toddler [name]Kai[/name] nn for [name]Kaiya[/name]. I haven’t met any other little ones though, so maybe it’s just not that popular here in [name]Virginia[/name]