Updated May 2023
Across 9 pages
of 9
Invented name
Kal-El is Superman's Kryptonian name, invented by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938 as the birth name of the superhero. Some theorize that it relates to Hebrew characters with the meaning "voice…
Modern invented name
Whether you think of it as Cale with a K, or a pet form of Kalen or Kaleb, this is just the kind of short, synthetic name finding a lot of favor now, but remember -- it's also the name of a vegetable.
Spelling variation of Khalil
Kalel first entered the US Top 1000 as a one-off appearance in 2009, then reentered in 2013. It's possible that some parents see it as a spelling variant of the classic Arabic name Khalil, meaning…
Sanskrit
"love, desire"
Kama is the winged Hindu god of love, son of Lakshmi. His proper name is Kamadeva.
Maori, Hawaiian
"rock; beloved child"
Popular in Hawaii in the first decades of the 20th century, this name also means "rock" in Māori.
Kikuyu
"quiet warrior"
Kamau is from the Kikuyu language native to Kenya. It is recognizable as the middle name of comedian W. Kamau Bell.
Japanese word name
Kanji is the Japanese writing system that uses Han Chinese characters. It is occasionally used as a male given name in Japan. And as most names from Asian cultures have not yet emigrated to the west,…
African place-name or Japanese
"the god of the waters"
Pleasing crossover possibility.
Hawaiian
"the free one"
Kanoa is a fashionable Hawaiian boy name that resembles Kainoa in sound and style, but not in frequency of use. Kanoa is currently undiscovered, but is definitely a name to watch.
African place-name, Nigeria
"honor, tribute"
Kanye West propelled his name into the Top 900 in the early 2000s, at the height of his popularity, though now it has dropped off the baby-naming map. In addition to its African derivation, it is a…
Finnish diminutive of Karl, Scandinavian
"free man"
A pet form of Karl, the form of Carl used throughout Scandinavia.
Spelling variation of Carson
A surname-style name with a contemporary spelling, Karsyn is a unisex name that has been on and off the charts for boys since 2018. As of 2023, it's back in the US Top 1000 and given to more than 200…
Variation of Cartier, French
"transporter of good by cart"
Kartier is on the rise for boys, along with a host of other luxury fashion related baby names.
Spelling variation of Case
Kardashian style transforms many traditional C names to K s, and this is a kase in point.
Variation of Casey, Irish
"brave in battle"
Casey-with-a-K never quite reached the heights of the original, but it broke the Top 500 for boys in the late '80s and early '90s.
African, Uganda
"second of twins"
Kato gained a lot of attention during the O. J. Simpson trial via witness Kato Kaelin (born Brian). It is also the name of a fictional character in "The Green Hornet." Spelled Cato, it has a lot more…
Japanese
"victory"
As well as meaning victory, the name Katsu is strongly associated with heroism and masculinity.
Turkish
"favor, charity, kindness; dark ruler; ruler of the land"
Predominantly used for boys but occasionally given to girls too, Kayra is a Turkish name that relates to either mythology or to a similar Arabic name. A Top 100 name in its native country, it may be…
"number, amount"
Like many Japanese names, Kazu can be used for either gender and has a range or meanings, depending on how the kanji are drawn and interpreted. It can also be short for names such as Kazuko or Kazuya.
"one blessing"
This Japanese name is used for both boys and girls.