Kei

KEH; KYE

Japanese, Frisian

"blessing, wise, intelligent, gemstone; horn, victory or the people"

Kei Origin and Meaning

The name Kei is a boy's name of Japanese origin meaning "blessing, wise, intelligent, gemstone; horn, victory or the people".

A succinct Japanese with plenty of positive meanings, Kei can denote wisdom, celebration, and excellence, along with (square) gemstones and Japanese Judas-trees, depending on which kanji is used. In recent years, it has become notably feminine leaning in Japan, often as a short form of Keiko. It is however unisex and may also be used as shorten version of Keita, Keisuke, Keisaku, and more.

Pronounced as KEH in Japanese, the name may nevertheless be used as a variation of the popular Kai (KYE) owing to its alterative Frisian roots. Used as a pet form of Cornelius or Nicolaas, it may also be spelled as Keij or Key.

Kei also appears in the name of a river in South African, The Great Kei River, which possibly comes from a Khoisan word meaning "sand". Additionally, it features in some versions of Arthurian legend, as an alternative spelling of Sir Kay's name.

Notable bearers of the name include poet and writer Kei Miller, tennis player Kei Nishikori, and Kei from the manga series Akira.