Kai
Kai is a man's name in the United States and a woman's name in Estonia. Which country the person is from decides the answer.
This name's gender leans differently depending on the country — check the table below before you assume.
- Verdict
- Depends on the country
- Male / female split
- 82% male / 18% female
- Confidence
- High (64 or more weighted country observations)
- Most common in
- United States, China, East Frisia
- US births since 1880
- 36,000 male / 6,010 female
- Data
- nam_dict (GFDL) + US SSA
- Updated
- 2026-09-11
How to address Kai
To address Kai when you do not know their gender, use the full name with no title: "Dear Kai," in English, "Guten Tag Kai," in German. Kai is a man's name in the United States and a woman's name in Estonia, so the right greeting depends entirely on their country. Ask directly if you are unsure.
Ready-made greetings in six languages
English
Dear Kai,
German
Guten Tag Kai,
French
Bonjour Kai,
Spanish
Estimado/a Kai:
Chinese
Kai您好：
Japanese
Kai様
English
Hi Kai,
German
Hi Kai,
French
Salut Kai,
Spanish
Hola Kai,
Chinese
Kai你好：
Japanese
Kaiさん
This is a statistical estimate, not a statement about the gender, identity or correct form of address of any particular person.
Country breakdown
| Country | How common | Usually | Male share |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | very common | man's name | 86% |
| China | common | unisex name | 50% |
| East Frisia | uncommon | man's name | 98% |
| Germany | uncommon | man's name | 98% |
| Denmark | uncommon | man's name | 98% |
| Estonia | uncommon | woman's name | 2% |
| Finland | uncommon | man's name | 98% |
| Norway | uncommon | man's name | 98% |
| Switzerland | rare | man's name | 75% |
| Japan | rare | man's name | 98% |
| Sweden | rare | man's name | 98% |
United States birth data
36,000 male · 6,010 female · 42,010 births recorded
Since 1980: 87% male.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kai a male or female name?
Kai is a man's name in the United States and a woman's name in Estonia. Which country the person is from decides the answer.
How do I address Kai in an email?
To address Kai when you do not know their gender, use the full name with no title: "Dear Kai," in English, "Guten Tag Kai," in German. Kai is a man's name in the United States and a woman's name in Estonia, so the right greeting depends entirely on their country. Ask directly if you are unsure.
Is Kai a unisex name?
Kai is not a unisex name: 82% of people named Kai are men. The gender leans heavily on which country the person is from.
Related names
Sources
Gender by country: nam_dict, the c't first-names dictionary by Joerg Michael, roughly 44,000 names across 55 countries, licensed GFDL. US frequencies: United States Social Security Administration baby-name data, public domain. Method: how we classify names. Full dataset: data & licences. Data built 2026-09-11.
DearWho, "Is Kai a male or female name?", https://dearwho.vercel.app/name/kai (accessed 2026-09-11). Data: nam_dict (J. Michael, GFDL) and US SSA, built 2026-09-11.
BibTeX
@misc{dearwho_kai,
title = {Is Kai a male or female name?},
author = {{DearWho}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://dearwho.vercel.app/name/kai},
note = {Data: nam_dict (GFDL), US SSA public domain}
}