Kai for a boy?

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My favourite is Kai and DH is Noah. Well I have a lot more favourites that DH has vetoed! These are the only ones from the lists that haven’t been dismissed. I’m aware Noah is currently no. 1 I think.
And I had grown up on MN that “K” names were a no/no so I’m torn 😂

Kai is food in Maori.

Kai had a moment in Germany late last century - meaning "warrior" or some such thing. Apparently Friesian in origin. Also used in Nordic countries I think. No strong opinion on Noah but it seems currently more overused.

I think K names might have got a bad rap after the Rooneys named their kids with K names.....

I think their eldest son is called Kai.

Some of us remember gorgeous Kai Olsson from the 70s. A proper Scandinavian name with equivalents in other cultures, but never massively popular in the UK.

I'd take it over the ubiquitous Noah any day. Apart from anything else, it won't date.

Kai from Andersen's The Snow Queen is what I immediately thought of. Did the boy get an icy heart in the end as far as I remember from my childhood? 😱 Don't know if this children's book/film/cartoon/play is popular where you are. But a very lovely name otherwise !

Kai means food in Māori and is used a lot in NZ in day to day conversation (so not some obscure word but actually commonly understood to mean food, “let’s get some Kai” etc. Not sure it works very well if you’re white British.

There is nothing wrong with the majority of K names, the ones that raise eyebrows are when a K is used for a name which has traditionally always been spelt with a C - or those that sound made up or have youniq spellings - Kyeleigh, Kaylan, Kalum, etc

In saying that I don’t think it’s at all “chavvy”

Thanks all! Unfortunately I do know that Wayne Rooney has one, but unless you are making up a name, there is always going to be someone names after. Obviously not calling them anything like Hitler!

Good to know and the posters saying about food in NZ

I like both. I wanted Cai (Welsh spelling) for a middle name but DH doesn't like it. Noah is a lovely name and I would use it myself but the popularity does put me off a little bit.

I love Kai and I think it's much nicer than Noah (which is a tiny bit boring IMO). You can't please everyone OP!

Have to agree.

The only Kai I've known was an extraordinarily attractive young man with a mensa level IQ who I had a major crush on at age 16 (over two decades ago 😳)

I like it! Noah is a bit meh IMO.

We have both in our wider family. Love Kai though.

Where I live Kai is the name change choice for Non Binary girls , along with gender neutral Alex.

Kai really is chav central and Noah, although a lovely name, is incredibly common now.

Kai and Cai aren't the same name, and it would look a bit 'youneek' if there is no Welsh connection.

Kai reminds me of Daniella Westbrook as she used it for her son ( I feel very old!) and it takes me back to the late 90’s/early 2000’s when there were lots of them around so it feels a bit dated.

@DefinitelyNotMaybe

How interesting that Kye means cow!
Kine (cows) is familiar to me from 18th poetry.
Maybe it is Nordic in origin if it's still used in the North East.

As a boy's name though- not for me.

I like the name Kai, but I can see it has mixed reactions, so I’d pick Noah, which is popular but really lovely ☺️

This is what i thought would be the reaction to both. Noah is nove, but being out the small children loop didn’t realise it was number one name which puts me off using it.

These are things that are good to know!

i know kai is popular in the English/japanese community as it’s easy to say in both languages.