Kasai

A Japanese name with real firepower, Kasai could be a name that's going places. It's a well-kept secret — for now — but it is nevertheless on the rise as parents search for alternatives to names like Kai and co. Given to just 15 boys in 2015, in a more recent count, it was given to 437, reflecting the interest in international gems.

A romanization of the Japanese word for fire, particularly one spreading over a wide area, Kasai is also a surname and a unisex option in Japan. While a small number of girls have been given the name in the States, it currently leans masculine. Interestingly, it disproportionately popular in Delaware, where it is connected to local wunderkind, Kasai Guthrie, a young entrepreneur and rapper.

Kasai was chosen by actress Skai Jackson in 2025 for her baby, which was the likely spark for its surge in popularity the same year. It made its debut in the Top 1000, given to four times as many boys to the year prior.

The Japanese name coincides with the name of a river running though the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Pronounced kah-SY.

As of October 2026, Kasai ranked #639 in US births in 2025 SSA, Nameberry popularity #246.